Key to the Starry Night Sky
by boredBRAIXEN
Summary: Lucy and Natsu have been dating for a few months when they both realize it's not working out. They break up but remain friends. Lucy finds out Natsu has feelings for Lisanna. She talks to Master Makarov and decides to let Lisanna take her place on the team so she & him can begin dating. Lucy also decides to join the newly reformed guild exchange program in hopes of becoming strong
1. The Decision

**Hey Monsters! Oneesama here with a new Fairy Tail Fanfiction. It hasnt been edited or beta read because i cant find a beta reader so if you see any mistajes you can POLITELY point tgem out in the comments. The timeline for this story is going to be a bit different than the cannon universe. A few things will be changed as well but itll be easy to pick up on. I really hope yoj guys enjoy this book. I will most likely be updating once a week. Also if you have any suggestions for Sting x Lucy, Rogue x Lucy, or Loke x Lucy stories I should check out, feel free to PM me. I enjoy funny, romantic, scary, or dramatic stories most. I look forward to your comments and suggestions on how the story will proceed. Well enough of my talking... onto the story!**

** XxX**

It started as a typical day in the Fairy Tail guild hall. Ezra was happily munching on a strawberry cheesecake that had been delivered anonymously to her the previous day. Mira was tending to the bar chatting to Laxus about various make believe couples, much to the lightning slayers annoyance. Gray and Natsu were fighting like usual, the ice make dropping random articles of clothing with a swooning water mage collecting them as she followed.

Fire and ice were blasting everywhere until one attack accidently destroyed Erzas cake and she went on a rampage, determined to teach the fighting mages a lesson.

In all the commotion, no one seemed to notice a certain blonde celestial mage had gone missing from the ruckus. But had they bothered to look they would've found she tip toed her way to the second floor before dashing to the masters private office.

XxX

"What on earthland do you mean you want to quit Team Natsu?! What could be happened to you my child that would cause you to make this decision? It was Natsu wasn't it! That fire breath embesile!"

The tiny old man known as the powerful Master Makarov was fuming from the ears as he listened to a saddened Lucy Heartfilia. True she hadn't been in the guild as long as others. Three, ten if you counted the seven years on Tenrou. Compared to most, she was one of the newest members. But she was special. Somehow she carried an aura of pure light and love wherever she went.

It was only a matrer of time before everyone around her fell in love with her in some form. To hear she was making suvh a huge decision brought frustration to the old man because he knew, more than anyone, Lucy would not make a decision like that lightly.

"No, it's nothing like that!" Lucy was waving her hands frantically before a soft look in her eyes took over and she began to explain her request.

"As you may know Natsu and I have been dating for a few months. Nothing actually happened except we realized our feelings for each other aren't what we thought. He doesn't see me as 'mate' material and I don't see him being responsible enough to raise a family with. But it has come to my attention that Lisanna and Natsu both have feelings for each other. So I'd like her to take my place so that they can have more time together. In return for my leaving the team, I would like to sign up for the guild exchange program."

Makarov sat in silence, contemplating Lucy's request. She didn't seem angry, sad, but not angry. So he knew she wasn't doing this out of spite. She also didn't ask to leave the guild permanently. That was a good thing. In his opinion it was no different than Natsu running off for months at a time or Lacks, or Guildarts. It wouldn't be fair of him to keep her from leaving if that is what she felt was best. With that final thought, he made his decision.

"Well my child, I must say I applaud your resolve to put others feelings first. I can also understand why you may want some time away. I have actually been dealing with a problem of my own and I think your predicament may be the answer I've been looking for!"

"Eh?" Confused wasn't a strong enough word to describe Lucy's feelings. Coherent words wouldn't form so she resigned to deadpanning. Her Master simply chuckled and began to explain what he meant.

"A while back, Rufus Lhor of Sabertooth contacted me requesting a tutor of sorts. Evidently, their young Master is having difficulty adjusting to life without that tyrant Jimina a d need some help."

When Lucy's face changed to one of empathy and pain, he knew she was hooked. He could ask her to walk into hell fire and she would, if it meant saving someone from the darkness. He knew it wouldnt take much convincing on his part but still, it would be fun.

" There is a catch. Unfortunately, it would be a very long assignment therefore I can only send one mage. I couldn't think of a solo mage I trusted with this mission as all of my most trustworthy are on teams together. But with you wanting to leave your team and go solo to join the exchange program, I believe this will be perfect for you!"

"You want me to tutor Master Sting?!" If Lucy sounded half as excited as she was then she was sure Makarov would understand how happy guving her this job would make her. Again, the old man chuckled at her enthusiasm before continuing his explanation.

"Not necessarily tutor, just... teach them how to live in the light. Teach him to be a responsible adult and a smart guild leader. You have a special talent for bringing out the best in people no matter how far gone they are. I believe this will be detrimental to Sabertooths metamorphosis from the hell hole it was to a home for the tigers... You know as well as I do how bad that guild was not so long ago. Sting wants to change that. He wants his guild to be more like ours and he has no idea how to do anything at all. With your upbringing you should be more than qualified to teach him about paperwork, making business deals, and budgeting. As a fairy tail mage you're more than qualified to teach them how to celebrate, fight with their heart, and as the person you are, you can teach them to live in the light and love with everything they have. Can I trust you to do this my child?"

Lucy was nearly in tears at her master's words. His praises meant more to her than he could ever know. He was the father she never had when her father forgot how to love her. The fact that he would trust her with this task... on her honir as a celestial mage she wouldn't let him down. She swore it.

"Of course master. I'd be honored to do it. How long will I be gone?"

"One year... Minimum. Depending on how long it takes things to turn around there, it may take longer. But as it is an official request from master to Master you will be payed for each month you are gone. I will pay your rent of 70,000j each month and Master Sting will give you 140,000j at the beginning of each month. You will also receive free housing while you are residing with Sabertooth. Does this sound fair?"

Her ears perked up at the mention of free rent for a year and a huge spending budget.

"More than! When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow will be fine. You need to let your team know formally of your plans and then you will need to pack. I will arrange travel for you."

"Thank you master."

Lucy happily skipped out of the door and ran downstairs to spread the news. Surprisingly everyone took it well and seemed proud of her willingness to help natsu find love even if it didn't work for them. With a smile on her face and tears in her heart the blonde mage headed home to begin preparing for her trip. While upstairs the proud old man pulled out his lacrima to call Sabertooth.


	2. Introduction

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 2. So I have had this idea in my head for a long while. This book is still a work in progress and I expect it to cross 80 chapters. I am still looking for both a Beta reader and illustrator for this book. If anyone is interested please comment or send me a private message. If you haven't guessed this book will have the following shipping...**

**Lucy x Rogue**

**Yukino x Sting**

**Lisanna x Natsu**

**There will be multple arc scenes throughout this book (basically im taking all of my RoLu one shots I have written and creating one long story.) If you have any requests for Fairy Tail one shots you can head over to my one shot book and request or comment below. I do all except yuri/yaoi (only because im not good at it yet once I get better I'll post some) also...**

**I should go ahead and add a trigger warning. This book is rated M for a reason. There will be several difficult topics including abusive relationships, abandonment issues, molestation, suicide, chronic illness, and PTSD. If any of these are too triggering for you this may not be the book for you.**

**Now onto the story...**

**XxX**

The following evening a nervous Lucy stood in front of two massive red and gold doors that led into the castle known as Sabertooth guild hall. Although she was filled with determination on the trip, once she stood in front of the doors all she felt was fear.

Sure Sabertooth were now allies with Fairy Tail. But that didn't change the fact that their members abused her former teammates and at one point tortured her. Plus... the whole future Rogue thing was still fresh in her mind.

The nightmares of watching herself be murdered by a blood eyed sadistic man tormented her daily since the incident ended. Thinking she was simply unnerved would be a drastic assumption on anyone's part. She was legitimately afraid of the man she knew nothing about. Though the rational part of her mind knew this Rogue had done nothing to her and had in fact protected her on occasion; her subconscious couldn't shake the fear that he had the capability of becoming him. It was the only thing she was truly afraid of, aside from loosing her family.

She was down right terrified at the thought of living and working in the sane guild as that man. She felt similar to how she felt back when Gajeel first joined the guild. She had hoped to never feel that way again but here she was... terrified of a man who technically hadn't done anythjng to her and a reformed demon woman who once tortured her in front of thousands of people. She began to regret her choice to come but knowing she made a promise she knew she had to follow through.

She must have stood there thinking for a good ten minutes before she was startled by a light tap on her shoulder. She was startled from her thoughts and squealed loudly.

Purely by instinct Lucy turned and screamed while aiming a well placed Lucy Kick to the unknown persons stomach. A loud thud followed by gasping could be heard under the sound of three people laughing. Or to be more precise, two exceeds and one person.

It took Lucy a moment to register what was happening. She wasn't in any danger at the moment because the laughter she heard wasnt malicious. She looked and found the source of the voices and was horrified when she realized what had happened... What she had just done!

"Oh my stars Master Sting! Im so sorry! I... I didn't mean to! Are you ok? Oh goddess I didn't know it was you, you scared me!"

Lucy was frantically dusting off the young man and bowing while apologizing to no end. The young man chuckled and felt a bit embarrassed by her sorrow. Nothing was hurt, well maybe his pride was a bit. But it was well deserved. Like she said, he did startle her.

"Well would you look at that. The mighty Sting Eucliffe taken down in a single hit by a girl he once deemed a weak fairy."

The normally silent and emotionless shadow slayer sounded rude but was relieved to hear a faint chuckle from Lucy. Though he came off as harsh, he was simply trying his hardest to make light of the situation they found themselves in. He was just as nervous as the woman in front of him, if not more... But for entirely different reasons.

"Fro thinks so too!"

"Sting-kun are you alright?! You crazy fairy!"

Lucy smiled at the two exceeds who chirped up in defense of their partners. The little green one in a frog costume ran to Rogue while the maroon one ran to his fallen partner. Watching the dark haired man interact with his exceed calmed Lucy's nerves. How could she be scared of a guy with a pink and green cat?

"Geez Lucy! You pack a hell of a hit on you. Remind me never to piss you off." Sting took Lucy's hand and kissed it while sending her a wink causing her to blush. He then motioned towards everyone and began introductions.

"Enough with this "master" nonsense... Just call me Sting. You're technically my teacher so if anything, I should be calling you sensei. That sarcastic asshole is Rogue. The red Exceed is my partner Lector and the green one in the pink frog costume us Frosch, but you can call her Fro."

" Do not call me sensei. If I can't use honorfics neither can you. Well as you know, I'm Lucy. I've been sent to help you guys!"

"Good because I can't take anymore of Rogues nagging!"

"If you actually did you job I wouldn't have to ... as you say... nag you."

Sting slumped his shoulders and groaned in annoyance before grabbing Lucy's hand and dragging her off.

Rogue shook his head and grabbed Lucy's very heavy bags. Motioning for the two exceeds to follow, they made their way to the guild.

Upon arriving Lucy was amazed by how much the Sabertooth guild resembled resembled Fairy Tail.

Sting began by taking Lucy straight up to his office much to her disappointment. Luckily Sabertooths resident celestial mage was already there working on paperwork. Sure she wanted to check out the guild but instead Lucy was more excited with catching up with her friend. Or she was, until she was bombarded with dozens of questions.

"So you're gonna teach me to run the guild? This is gonna be so cool! We're getting help from the Light of Fairy Tail herself! There's no way I'll screw up now! So what should we do? Oh let's throw a party!"

Sting was quickly hit in the head by Yukino who could see how tense Lucy was becoming.

"Shut up Sting-kun! You're gonna scare her off!"

Sting like always shrugged her off and turned his attention back to Lucy. He began spoutung off ideas he had for the guild and listing the things he admired about Fairy Tail and wanted to mimic. Lucy had to admit, his enthusiasm was relieving. Whole she was worried she wouldn't be up to the task...Sting was acting very in master like, jumping around and making plans like a child planning a sleepover.

Lucy just giggled in response to his childish antics before saying anything. "Well at Fairy tail we always celebrate visitors, new members, new couples, victories, basically any reason to party we use it. So if you want to be like us, I guess my arrival is as good an idea as any for me to teach you to party like a Fairy. I will say though... you should make sure to limit your members rowdiness. If it gets out of hand the city can complain, then you'll have to deal with the council."

"Perfect! It will be our first official effort towards reform! We can start right now!"

"That sounds fun. But don't you think you should introduce me to your guild first?"

Stings hopes were dashed with her reasoning. It would make more sense to wait but he wanted to have fun. Any reason to not have to do paperwork.

"Plus I still need to find somewhere to stay for the next year. And if you really WANT to throw a party and be responsible, that means you need to plan your celebrations in advance."

She approached him as a mother would scolding her child. Sitting in the corner Rogue was amused and Yukino was amazed. No one had ever so effortlessly talked sense to the blond man they called master. But there she was... putting him in his place in the most polite way possible.

" It's Tuesday today, so a lot of your guild members are probably still out on missions. Are they not? If it were my decision I would have a party during the weekend. Friday or Saturday would be best so they have time to rest before taking a job again on Monday."

Thinking about her response Sting decided her advice was profound and that he must follow it no matter what.. He wasnt sure if it was the fact that his idols girlfriend was teaching him or if it was because she was so repected and loved by everyone who knew herb or if it was because he respected her after seeing her face Minerva. All he knew was he wanted to learn from her and he would take her words to heart.

"Alright, that makes sense. Is that how Fairy Tail does it?"

"Not really." She was nervously rubbing the back of her neck and sweatdropping. She looked guilty suddenly.

"We kinda just celebrate on impulse. But it always winds up costing us in the end. I'm here to teach you to be like Fairy Tail. It's my personal goal to make you a bit less reckless than my guild while instilling the same core values. I don't think Fiore can't handle two crazy guilds after all. One of the two strongest guilds need to be sane." Lucy winked as she said it causing everyone in the rooms heart to melt.

"Did you just say you would be staying here at Sabertooth for a year?" Rogue surprised everyone by being the one to blurt that out randomly.

Lucy was visibly uncomfortable being addressed by the man which put everyone off but she answered him nonetheless

"Erm... Yea. I would return home every few weeks to check in and visit, but for the most part yes I would be. Is... is that ok? I mean it's no big deal if you dont want me here that long. I can go back sooner if it's an issue?" Lucy twiddled her thumbs nervously while she waited the dark haired mans response. Why she thought her staying for so long was an issue, the guys couldn't understand. They were beyond excited that she was there.

"No it's fine. I just didn't realize we were lucky enough to get you that long. Won't your team miss you?" Sting couldn't tell how Rogue was feeling by the tone in his voice. He sounded angry and happy at the same time which was weird even for him. But he didn't miss the hint of relief laced in each of his twins words. Lucy seemed to grow the trendiest bit comfortable after that, much to the relief of the blond man.

"Probably not. You see the reason I took this assignment is because I quit Team Natsu."

A collective gasp was heard throught the room. She said it so casually that most if not everyone who heard who say it would think she was fine with it. Yukino knew better though. She knew Lucy must've been torn up inside and her heart cried for her. Sting looked hurt almost.

Confused would probably be a better word. Natsu was his hero and she was his mate. Why would Lucy quit their team? What had happened? While Sting and Yukino were left with their thoughts, Rogue was fuming.

He knew celestial mages loyalty ran nearly as deep as a dragon's. For Lucy to leave Natsus side something must've happened. Something that hurt her enough to leave her home for a year to a place filled with people she was scared of. Something had dimmed the light of Fairy Tail and he was determined to find out the cause.

"Yea. I let Lisanna take my place. She is Natsus girlfriend after all." Rogue noticed the flash of hurt in her eyes as she smiled and spoke. Her mask might've been fooling Sting and Yukino but she wasn't fooling him. He was the master at hiding his emotions after all.

"But I thought you were dating Natsu-san?" Sting looked utterly confused. Betrayal was written on his face although Lucy ignored it.

"I was. But in my eyes dating is something you do to find the person you'll spend your life with. He wanted something I wasnt ready to give him because I can't rely on him to always be there for me. The kind of relationship he wanted was purely physical. While I wanted commitment he wanted freedom and fun. No matter our bond, what we had could never be anything more. I simply can't allow it with such a reckless and impulsive person."

The smell of salt immediately assaulted both dragon skaters noses and they realized Lucy was struggling to keep a smile on her face. There was obviously more to the story she wasn't telling them. Whatever happened must have been worse than they thought so Rogue took the initative and changed the topic.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you need. A Fairy such as yourself can always find safety in the den of the Sabers. No one will bother you here, we won't allow it. Whatever you need to do, however long it takes... you have a home here."

"Rogues right. Hell you dont ever have to go back if you dont want to! You can join the guild and we can call you the Saber Fairy!"

"You're an idiot sting."

"Shut up rogue!"

Watching the two brothers argue and listening to their kind words brought joy to her heart. She sniffled and smiled before speaking in a barely audible whisper.

"Thanks you guys. You dont know what that means to me."

Yukino walked up to Lucy and wrapped her arms around her. Melting into the hug the blonde thanked her again before Yukino began to comfort her.

"What they say is true. You and me are connected just like the dragon slayers are. You'll always have a place here because you're my family. Now let's get out of here while we've got the chance."

Releasing their embrace the girls turned to the still bickering dragon slayers and cleared their throats to get the men's attention. Once convinced both men were paying attention, Lucy excused herself.

"Well Sting, I thank you for your hospitality. I hate to be rude but I'm very worn out from the journey it took to get here. I'd very much like to settled in for the night so we can begin your training first thing tomorrow. If that's ok?"

"Of course it's ok Lucy. Although since we didn't know who was coming we just sorta assumed it would be a guy. We have a room ready for you but it's at Rogues house. I've got my own room there too but most days I stay at the guild. So I don't know if you'd be comfortable with that."

"Honestly I don't have an issue with it. Anywhere is fine with me as long as im not intruding on the homeowner."

"Absolutely not. You can stay with me! Well for today at least. We need a girls night and I refuse to take no for an answer! Since we know it's you, Rogue can fix up your room for you before you go stay with him!"

"Eh?"

"Yukino calm down." Sting pleaded. Seeing the stars in the silver haired maidens eyes he was scared to get her going on a tantrum.

"Shut up Sting! You never let me do anything and I'm not backing down on this!"

"Im not asking you too! I'm just asking you to chill out!"

"So shut up already!"

The two light mages continued to bicker much to the shadow dragon's dismay. He began rubbing his temples in an annoyed manner before whispering to himself.

"I hate you all." Lucy seemed to be the only one to catch Rogues comment as Yukino and Sting were too busy staring daggers at each other. She giggled in response and decided to break up the fight.

"Alright then, Yukino and I are gonna get going! Rogue and I can discuss other living arrangements for me tomorrow. Sting I expect you here by noon so we can begin our lessons. Come on Yukino, let's get going!"

XxX


	3. Reconnection

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 3 of the book! So I am terrible with describing rooms without sounding like I'm rambling. I hope this description is good enough. There will be future chapters that take place in Yukinos apartment and I'll work on my descriptions for those so that they'll be better.**

**So I love the idea of Lucy and Yukino being 'sisters' but every fic I have read completely ignores the fact that Yukino already has a sister. Here we will get a glimpse at what's going in with Yukino and Solano, there will be more revealed as the story goes on.**

**The next chapter might be a little sad but it is important to the first story arc so make sure you don't skim through it.**

**Anyway... Onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

Walking into Yukinos house was what Lucy imagined walking into heaven must feel like. A feeling of safty enveloped her and calmed each of her crazed nerves. It was like an aura of protection loomed in the room and she fearfully accepted it. The day had been trying after all.

Though she put on a brave face and spoke as if nothing was wrong, inside she had been panicking. Rogue had been the number one cause of her apprehension. Being so close to him and talking to him as if nothing was wrong was nearly too much for her to handle. Finding out she was expected to stay with the shadow mage had been the breaking point. She was close to having an anxiety attack when Yukino pulled her away from the guild and for that, Lucy was thankful. She allowed the comfort of Yukinos home take her over as she inspected the room she was currently standing in.

The floors were a beautiful white marble with grey sparkles in it, covered with plush white carpets. The walls were powder blue with what looked like clouds painted from the ceiling fading into the blue walls. There were photos of Yukino and her team, photos of the twin dragon slayers and their exceeds, even pictures of Fairy Tail. Lucy was surprised to see those pictures of her team hanging next to her own. She was surprised to see not a speck of dust could be found anywhere making Lucy feel suddenly self conscious.

Her couch and chair were a crushed blue grey color. The couch was in a long L shape and covered in solid white and light blue pillows. The tables were made completely of glass and shaped like stars with glitter in them. Lucy was almost scared to touch anything, afraid to tarnish it's perfect beauty. She simply took off her shoes and slid on her slippers from her bag before walkimg in and following Yukino into her room to set down her bags. They then made their way back to the living room to finally start catching up.

"Lucy-san I don't have an extra room but my bed is huge so we can share for tonight. I made you leave most of your bags on purpose, make the guys carry them. If you need anything of mine feel free to use it."

Yukino was beyond excited. It had been one year since Lucy reunited her with Solano. After the Eclipse fiasco Lucy traveled with her to the Magic Council Prison and put an end to Yukinos 16 year long search. It should've been a happy time and both she and Lucy were crushed when her world began to spiral out of control.

When the woman she had spent her life searching for basically disowned her out of her own selfish guilt, Lucy had been there to pick up the pieces. When she decided to come clean about the true horrors Jimina delivered, Lucy was there to help her confront the monster she was forced to call Master. It was only because of Lucy she was brave enough to confess to the Magic Council and have him imprisoned. When she was lost in self pity and tried to abandon her keys and her magic, Lucy was there to kick her ass until she snapped out of it. Lucy taught her new magic and helped her grow as a celestial mage. She was the reason Yukino had learned to use light magic.

There was a reason she was known on Earthland as 'The Light of Fairy Tail'. There was a reason she was known among the heavens as 'The Celestial Princess'. She was the embodiment of love and understanding. The goddess of adaptation and tactics.

She always had the answers everyone needed and turned to in their time of need. Now it was Yukinos turn to help her. Lucy was like a sister to her. The sister she wished Solano could be. She wanted nothing more than to help the blonde in any way possible. And a girls night was the way to do it! At least that's what she hoped.

She knew that Lucy had a lot going on. Natsu and her breaking up and how she feels about seeing Rogue for the first time since the Eclipse fiasco were her two biggest concerns.

"Thanks... And you don't have to use honorfics, we're friends aren't we? I mean, in all honesty I consider you my sister... after everything we've been through together. I never had a sister a real one anyway but you and me? Our spirits are connected because of our shared magic and how many times we've bonded our magic. I feel like our bond is closer than blood if that makes sense."

Yukinos heart melted hearing that Lucy felt the same way she did. She was scared if she said something that Lucy would freak out. But it seemed that they shared their feelings and yukono was excited for their relationship to grow.

"Yes it makes total sense because I feel the same way! You're like the sister I wish Solano could be. But seeing as ill never see her again I've decided to move on and stop mourning her. I would be honored to call you my sister."

After sharing a quick hug Yukino immediately went into question mode. " So... Lucy let's get down to business! Tell me everything that has been going on? What's this about you leaving your team?!"

Lucy sighed and went to sit with Yukino on the couch. As the only other celestial wizard left in Fiore, aside from the princess, Lucy felt a strong connection with her. With their bond She knew she could trust her. Trust wasnt the issue. She was afraid that once She started talking She wouldn't be able to finish. She wasnt ready to talk about everything but she knew she had been keeping too much to herself and that letting the silver haired woman in front of her in was nothing but a good thing.

"Its a long story."

Sharing a few things with Yukino couldn't hurt right? That is what Lucy hoped for when she sat on the couch and prepared to tell Yukino a story to satisfy her curiosity. An idea popped into Lucy's head. She knew very well Yukino would tell Sting about whatever they talked about. If she stressed how uncomfortable she was with Rogue maybe Sting would tell him so she didn't have to. Getting comfortable on the couch she patted for Yukino to follow and waited to begin.

"I've got nothing but time."

XxX


	4. Opening Up

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 4. So this chapter will tell a little bit about Lucy's past. I've changed a few things but I won't reveal all of them just yet. There are plenty more revelations into Lucy's past to come in the future. For now Lucy is only opening up because she feels obligated to. She's holding a very dark secret that she's not ready to share.**

**Oh I forgot to mention... In this story Aquarious key is broken and Lucy wears it as a necklace. Because of her bond She can still use Aquarius powers when she is in water or fighting a water mage.**

**But that's enough of my talking... Onto the stort!**

**XxX**

"It all started two years ago Natsu and I had been dating for about six months. It wwant what I thought it would be, but it was nice. Our relationship actually didn't change much except for the fact that we kissed occasionally. He was still his usual self and we never really did anything that could be considered a date. He grew more protective of me and i liked that. I even learned to cook new foods for him since he basically starred living with me at my apartment. Honestly... I enjoyed every minute if it.

But then the Grand Magic Games came and everything changed.

After the Eclipse Fiasco I was plagued by night terrors. Natsu started to grow depressed and it seemed like I was the cause. Then after the war against Tartaros I returned home to find a note from Natsu. He left me to train. After that, Master disbanded the guild. Gray left with Juvia and they built a life together in a small village in the east. Ezra left with Jellal and together with his new followers, took down the remaining fractions of the dark guilds in southern Fiore. Wendy and Carla went to Lamia Scale to be with her best friend Chelia. The two sky slayers had banded together and created the most adorable team. They called themselves the Sky Sisters. Hell, even Levy and Gajeel went to work for the Magic Council."

A stunned gasp was heard from Yukino as lucy took a deep breath before continuing.

"I on the other hand was left in mourning alone. Not one member of my team said goodbye. I thought of Gray and Erza as my elder siblings and they left me right after Natsu did. Wendy said goodbye along with Carla. They were the only ones. It hurts me to know that I meant so little to them."

By this time Lucy was clutching a necklace which Yukino soon learned was the remains of Aquarius key. The blonde stopped her story long enough to tell the tale of sacrifice she faced alone during the war against Tartaros.

"For weeks I didn't know what to do. I stayed in my apartment going without doing antthing. I wouldn't eat or bathe for days on end. My hair became so matted it took Cancer nearly six hours to untangle it. My apartment was decked and all the food i had was expired. I only slept when I became too exhausted from crying. I had essentially killed my oldest friend and the last link to my mother and no one even knew about it because they didn't bother to say goodbye! I started to become angry and was nearing the point of hurting myself until my spirits convinced me to leave Magnolia. So I did.

I worked as a solo mage for about a year. But after a mission went terribly wrong I decided to take a break. I then went to work for sorcerer weekly as a columnist for about six months. I actually really enjoyed it. I had a nice apartment and everything... I probably would've stayed forever if Wendy hadn't shown up. She had come begging me to return to Magnolia. Apparently Natsu came back and rebuilt the guild.v

Yukino scoffed thinking Lucy was too good to go back to Fairy Tail after what they did. She was right... Obviously her team didn't care for her the way she cared for them. It only pissed Yukino off more to know Lucy couldn't hold a grudge against anyone, let alone her family. She should've denied their requests. Honestly yukino thought Lucy should have just joined Sabertooth. She still should. She's very clearly unhappy. So much so she ran away from home. To say the silver haired maiden was shocked by her next statement was not enough to describe what she actually felt.

"I was excited.

I thought my life would go back to the way it was. But I was wrong. By this time it had been eighteen months since Natsu left. Although i wasn't sure where we stood, I declined every date and flirt the entire time. I knew the events that haunt me effected him jyst as much. So I waited for him. For nearly two years I waited and I prayed he would work through whatever it was he needed to. I wanted him to grow up and realize it was time to settle down and start a family while he had the chance. I wanted him to come home and be ready to move forward together."

A cynical tone took over Lucy's voice as she chuckled and wiped a few stray tears from her eyes.

"He figured it out. Everything I hoped he would come to terms with, every decision I prayed he would make... he did. I just didn't prepare myself for the fact that I might not be part of those decisions. When I got to the guild Natsu wasn't there. So I waited... I had already waited almost two years, I could wait a few more minutes. But I didn't expect a few minutes to turn into six agonizing hours. When he finally arrived I expected him to yell my name and come crashing into my arms like he had since the day we met. I expected Happy to come zooming and latch onto me before insulting me and begging for a fish.

But that wasn't what happened. Hi walked right past me like he didnt even see me. Happy gave me a small hug and a quiet apology before he went to sit with Carla. I was confused until I heard Levy gasp and I looked at the most heartbreaking scene. Instead of my arms he ran straight into Lisannas. He whispered something into her ear before he kissed her with more passion then I had ever seen from him. He told her that during his time away he realized he needed to stop playing around and find a mate. He told her he remembered promising to marry ger as a child and was ready to make good. I don't know what else he said because I got up and walked to the masters office before I caused a bigger scene then Natsu and Grays fight."

Tears were now freely flowing from both stellar mages. Lucy was trying so hard to hold back, that much Yukino could tell. But fury was overtaking her empathy at that moment and she began to think about how she could convince Lucy to leave Fairy Tail once and for all. As much as she loved them it was obvious she wasn't happy there anymore.

After everything Lucy had been through she deserved to be happy. Yukino realized she had one year to convince Lucy to join Sabertooth. She had to start somewhere but where? It was then she noted how long she had been silent and quickly joined back into the conversation.

"Oh my stars?! He didn't really do that?"

"Hn he did."

"What on Earthland is wrong with him!"

No telling. But it's strange... I should be angry but I can't bring myself to be. When it happened I felt a lot of things. Hurt, betrayed, hell I even felt used. But I couldn't be angry. Lisanna is one of my dearest friends and i know how much she cares for him."

"Lucy... you're too kind for your own good sometimes."

She meant it. Lucy gave so much and never expected anything in return. It wasn't fair that she had suffered so much.

"I guess him leaving me with nothing but a note during the lowest point in my life was his way of breaking up with me."

"I'm so sorry Lucy."

" It still hurts... I feel like I'm not good enough. I wasn't even worth the ten minutes it would've taken to say goodbye. I'm weak, always needing to be rescued. Always getting kidnapped or hurt. He was right.

"What do you mean?"

"In his letter he said that he doesn't want to become a murderer. But that when it comes to protecting me, it becomes so easy to kill. I was turning him into the monster he was afraid of becoming."

"That's not a good enough reason! If he was willing to kill then it means it was already inside of him to do it. That has nothing to do with you!"

"He doesn't know that. But he'll figure it out one day."

"That still doesn't make it right."

Yukino was getting angrier by the minute. Natsu didn't deserve to be let off the hook so easily and she was determined to make sure he would be punished.

" I can't be angry with him for running. Im happy for him, that's why I gave Lisanna my spot. I need to get used to being alone because thanks to Natsu I know I'm nit 'mate material'. You're supposed to date to find the person you'll spend the rest of your life with. But if that will never be me then what's the point of dating.

"Lucy!" Yukino was freaking out at how calm the blonde in front of her sounded.

"I think I'll get a cat and buy a small house in the woods. Then I can be lonely in peace." Lucy was deep in thought and Yukino was utterly horrified.

"That's it!" She quickly stood up and began walking towards her door dragging Lucy by the arm behind her. "I can not deal with you being so... depressed! You're Lucy Heartfilia... Princess of the stars! Are you really gonna let some idiot dragon slayer tell you your worth?!"

Lucy had snapped out of her daydream and looked at Yukino in shock. Tears filled her soft blue eyes and she spoke with more authority than ever before.

"I wont allow it! If you dont want to party with the guild then we'll party with our master!"

"Eh!"

"We're going to Stings house!"

XxX


	5. An Unexpected Day

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 5! So this chapter will give us in site on how Rogue feels about meeting Lucy. A few important things to note... In this story Rogue does not know about Future Rogue. He knows someone came from the future and a battle ensued. He was never told how his future counterpart played a role in the destruction. This will be explained later in the story. Also, aside from saving her from a dragon during the battle, Rogue and Lucy have never actually met. Sting and Rogue were also unaware of who was Master Makarov was sending so they were shocked when Lucy showed up. They also didn't know she was staying so long and are both excited and scared to see her.**

**Now onto the story!**

**XxX**

Rogue was exhausted. To say the day had been eventful would have been an understatement in his opinion. It all started when he was awoken at the crack of dawn by the sound of yelling exceeds and a blaring smoke detector.

It seemed Lector and Frosch had decided to cook breakfast for themselves. They were trying to make fish and eggs but caught the pan on fire. They were arguing over who's fault it was when Rogue stepped in and sent them to watch cartoons.

After cleaning the mess and making breakfast he was then forced to drag his lazy brother Sting out of bed so they could get to the guild.

Sting had been guild master for going on three years and because of his negligence, the guild was beginning to take heat from the Magic Council. Sting had not been keeping up with his weekly reports, monthly fees, and request quotas. His excuse was that he didn't know how to do any of the paperwork.

As such Rogue was tasked with attempting to teach Sting how to do paperwork. He had spent the better part of four hours trying to explain how to run a guild and what budgeting was to his idiot of a brother.

All he was met with were sarcastic or perverted comments and complaining. Sting simply refused to learn anything. It was like it was against his pride to do anything business like. All sting wanted to do was fight, party, and slack off.

For weeks this was Rogues daily routine. He would try for hours on end for days at a time to get Sting to understand something, anything that could be used towards running the guild effectively. But unfortunately the 'Mighty Master Sting Eucliffe' couldn't be bothered to listen to his more responsible counterpart.

The day finally came when Rogue simply couldn't take it anymore. The constant arguing and repetition had all seemed to pile up on him on that cool September day. Rogue had given up hope on teaching his brother anything when his lacrima lit up like a glow from the heavens. When the familiar face of a small old man appeared Mastar Makarov smiled and gave Rogue the answer to his prayers. A mage with prior experience running a high profile business was coming to train Sting in the ways of running a guild.

Rogues heart lept at the prospect of being let off the hook for teaching the blonde idiot anything about being an adult. The thought of never having to repeat the same instructions for hours a day excited him to no end. He probed Makarov for more information but was only told Sabertooth would be responsible for housing them and paying them 140,000j a month for their lessons and patience with Sting.

Thinking it was a fair trade Rogue accepted the terms on Stings behalf and, assuming the Fairy would be male, prepared his guest room for the upcoming arrival of his savior.

Never once did he think Master Makarov would send _her_. When rogue saw her golden hair and infectious smile his excitement turned to dread.

There she was.

The woman who unknowingly tormented his dreams since childhood. The woman from his nightmares. Images of her beaten and nearly lifeless body flashed before his eyes. Her tears and emotional words haunted his memory. Seeing her hurt like hell.

He was utterly confused as to why Fairy Tail would send their 'light'. She was their sole celestial mage, their pride and joy, and Natsu-sans girlfriend. Why on Earthland would they send _her_?!

Convinced the gods were playing a sick prank on him he silently thanked the heavens when Lucy said she wanted to stay with Yukino. He didn't know if he could handle being in the same room with her, let alone sleep under the same roof as her.

But when he spoke with her he could she was just as uncomfortable with him. Why? He had no idea. But he could smell fear rolling off of her in waves. She was scared of him. That made him feel even worse.

The pain of contradiction hurt too much when he was near her. He wanted to be near her but seeing her smile only reminded him of her lifeless body. He also wanted to find out why she was afraid of him but was scared of scaring her more. He thought he would habe time to think before encountering the girl again. So when the clock nearly struck eleven and he prepared to go to bed he was shocked to hear frantic knocking at the door.

Before he had a chance to react, Sting had gotten up from the couch where he had been watching a movie and answered the door. It wasn't often Sting stayed over but after seeing how down his brother was, the blond had decided to crash at the shadow mages house. Rogue was thanking Sting internally when he smelled a familiar scent of coconut and ginger.

To ROGUES shock and confusion, the two celestial mages he had been thinking about not even ten minutes prior appeared in their doorway. Yukino seemed stressed and was staring at him intently. While Lucy on the other hand looked like she had been crying recently and seemed to find her feet very interesting, refusing to look either man in the eye. Yukino wasted no time in walking up to the apprehensive man and dragging him to his room.

"Come with me Rogue, we need to talk..."

So much for a relaxing night in.


	6. Drunken Memories

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 6! So this one's a bit long simply because I couldnt find a good breaking point. So yay for long chapters!!! I would really like to know what you guys think of the story so far and your theories on what might happen in the future? So I thought i might mention it here. Im working on creating an amino for my fanfiction works. I want to post my stories on there along witj fanart that I or my readers create based on my stories! But it's still a work in progress. For now... If you're interested in doing a fanart piece for this story, I'd love to include it! I'll also credit you and leave a link to your profile! So yea... This part of the story is going to be Yukino expressing her worries about lucy and a drunken conversation between Rogue and Lucy. I hope you enjoy!!! Now onto the story...**

**XxX**

"Yukino! Lucy! What are you guys doing here? Not that im complaining." Sting was surprised to see the two celestial mages standing in the doorway. He stepped aside and invited them in.

Leading them to the living room he motioned towards the mohagany built in bar over in the corner. Lucy sat on one of the stools and Yukino smiled warmly.

"Why don't you make Lucy one of your delicious rum and triple berry smoothies. She could use a good drink right now."

Sting was confused. He had asked Lucy to party with him only a few hours earlier and she declined saying she was tired. But there she was, eyes pleading for something strong. He realized she was in a somber mood and decided cheering her up was his number one priority for the night, and he was happy to oblige.

"What are you two doing here?" He whispered to his on again off again girlfriend.

"I needed to get Lucy out of the house. She was freaking me out." Yukino whispered back.

"What do you mean? I thought she was your best friend?" Sting was surprised to hear she was nervous to be alone with the girl and continued their hushed conversation while Lucy and Rogue sat awkwardly in the corner.

Rogue got up and began to blend ice mangos, strawberries, rum, and coconut liquor together and placed them in a tall glass with a straw and handed it wordlessly to Lucy. She took it with an embarrassed blush and surprised everyone when her face lit up in enjoyment of the beverage. Yukino then turned to Sting and winked before turning to Rogue.

"Rogue come with me. We need to talk. Now!"

Rogue followed the silver haired maiden to Stings room and waited for her to talk. After a few moments of collecting her thoughts she began by asking him a hard question.

"What do you know about Lucy's involvement in the eclipse fiasco?"

The qurstion took him by complete surprise. "Well I know you her and the princess combined your powers to close the gate but that it was Lucy's power that ultimately won the war why?"

"Did you know about the man who came from the future to manipulate the princess into opening the gate in the first place?"

Shocked didn't describe the look on Rogues face. He had heard a rumor of time travel but never fully got the whole story.

"What are you talking about?"

Yukino thought for a moment on how to best describe what had happened. She knew most of the story was for Lucy to tell, which was the only reason no one had told him yet. But she knew he needed to know if he would be living with Lucy.

"The Eclipse Gate was a time portal. It led back 400 years. From what I understand the gate was opened once before in the year x777. Two people emerged from that gate. One of them was the future version of Lucy. The other was the future version of you."

Yukino paused a moment to let Rogue take everything in. He looked conflicted. He wasnt sure if he wanted to hear the rest of the story but she pressed on.

"Future Rogue manipulated the princess into thinking the world would end if she didn't open the gate. Lucy... our Lucy stood up to him. Future Rogue blamed her for the world's descrution. I can't say exactly what he did because Lucy doesn't want it on your conscience. But I can tell you she has both night terrors and anxiety because of what he did to her."

"I don't understand what this has to do with anything?" Rogue was getting frustrated. He didn't want to hear lies about him hurting the fairy. Sure he was ruthless but he wouldn't hurt someone for no reason!

"There's something wrong with her." She talks about things that don't make sense. She's haunted by some of the events of the last few years. And most of all she feels used and an unwanted. She's depressed. She's saying things about getting a cat and living in the woods! I'm worried about her. I didn't know what to do so I brought her here.."

"Why?" Rogue could understand her being concerned but he comment understand why she thought they could help.

"Well you two seemed to cheer her up earlier. I figured maybe she needs to be around people. From what she told me, Natsu did some really horrible things to her and now, I don't know. It's like something inside of her was already broken and Natsu burned it to a crisp."

"Why are you telling me this? Didn't Lucy tell you these things in confidence?"

"Because over the next year you will be around her... A LOT. She may think she's unwanted but there are plenty of men who will try to pray on her weakened mental state. Her virtue is still in tact as far as I know, and it is my job as her sister to keep it that way until she's married. Because that's what she wants. But right now she's in a dark place so I need your help to protect her. Obviously Sting will help but I'm hoping she will be staying with you and that you can help."

"But why me?" She was scared of him. Whtmy did Yukino come to him for help when it was so painfully obvious?

"Because I know you Rogue. I know you need her as much as she needs you. You dont know it yet but I do."

"I don't...understand." What could she possibly know that he didn't? Was it something his future self told Lucy that she then told Yukino?

"During the Eclipse fiasco something happened between Future Rogue and Lucy. She's terrified of what you might become but guilty that she doesn't know who you are now. She swore everyone who knows the details of what happened between them to secrecy. Even me. But I will tell you that sometimes when my mind womders and I look at you... I can't help but be scared myself. The things future Rogue did to Lucy are unspeakable. And she lives with that heartache every day. Weather you know it or not it's your responsibility to fix her. After all it was your future self that started her downward spiral."

Hearing the dark tone in her voice honestly frightened him. He had never heard the sweet celestial mage speak with such anger. It made him wonder...

"Yukino. What did I do?"

She looked conflicted. It took her nearly two minutes to finally respond

"Even I don't know the whole story. No one does except Lucy, her spirits, and Future Rogue."

"What can I do?"

"I don't know. I just know it has to be you."

How annoying Rogue thought. He needed an idea not a shrug of the shoulders.

"Any other advice? Preferably something useful when it comes to her living here?"

Rogue decided he would at least try to make Lucy comfortable while she was in his home. He would try to figure out how to help her emotionally once they had some time alone. He may have mixed feelings about her but he'd be damned if he was going to let her suffer under his care.

"Her favorite anything is strawberry. She loves to read and write. Her favorite colors are purple pink brown and black. And she loves cooking so stock up on groceries, especially baking ingredients."

"Anything else?"

Stock up on baking supplies and strawberries. Seemed simple enough.

"Not that I can think of. Oh her birthday is in five weeks! Don't forget to get her a gift."

An October birthday? Interesting. So she was a Libra. That was interesting seeing Rogue was an Aquarius.

"I won't. So what are we doing now?"

"We're gonna get her drunk and get her to spill her guts out to us!"

Yukino jumped for joy but he just deadpanned. How could she be so crazy? Sting must have been rubbing off on her.

"Uhh..."

"I'm pretty sure she's thinking about death a lot. We need to get her to open up no matter what!"

Hearing that sent a pain through his heart. Was the light of Fairy Tail really thinking of taking her own life? That couldn't be possible! If things were truly that bad then maybe Yukino was right and drastic measures were needed in order to open Lucy up before it was too late.

""Fine. But once she's living here we will not be having random midnight parties. Is that understood?"

Yukino flinched under the hard crimson glare. His voiced boomed with authority as he made her promise knowing what promises meant to celestial mages.

"Y...yes..."

"This is still my house. Sting technically lives at the guild. He has a room here just because he's my brother. But I will not have this nonsense on a regular basis. My home will not become a party house!"

Rogue wanted to make sure she got the message. He enjoyed his peace and quiet and his home was his sanctuary. In all honesty it was a huge fight when it came to allowing the unknown fairy to stay in that safe space. But when he found out it was Lucy he wasnt as opposed to it. As he heard more about what was going on, he began wanting her to stay there. If only so he could help her.

"Of course not! But just for tonight?"

"For Lucy... Yes. Just for tonight."

XxX

Lucy is working on her fifth spiked smoothie and had four bottles of empty sake laying next to her. Yukino was in a non-stop fit of laughter while sting was being clingy and emotional. Rogue was drinking a rum and soda and went to sit by Lucy as Sting dragged Yukino into into his room.

Apparently the on again off again relationship was on once more and their plan to discover Lucy's issues was tossed aside along with Sitings clothes.

Rogue ignored his growing frustration with his so called friends and went to sit by a now relatively calm but emotional Lucy. He was still nervous but could see the pain in the blondes eyes as she gazed off into space.

"Are you ok?"

Startled from her thoughts, Lucy blushed briefly before turning to Rogue. She didn't look him in the eye when she spoke.

"Yea. Just thinking about ... things."

The smell of salt hit the shadow mages nose as tears began to well up in her eyes. He panicked.

"Would you like to talk about it? I'm sure we'll have privacy for the next few hours if not the rest of the night.

"Well..."

Rogue stood up from the bar and held his hand out to Lucy before leading her wobbling figure to the sofa and sitting her down in a more comfortable position.

"Come sit. So tell me what did Natsu-san do to you?"

Rogue couldn't ignore the dark aura that radiated around the normally loving woman.

"He waisted ten years of my life."

" What do you mean?"

He had hoped it would be his opening but was quickly shot down by her nect comment.

"I'm not ready to talk about it. But I will tell you one story that's been eating away at me."

"I'm listening."

He put his drink down and turned to face her.

"You know I had ten of the zodiac keys while Yukino held two? Together we compleated the entire set."

Her eyes began watering as she balled her fists in her lap and looked down.

"Yes."

"Well now I only hold nine."

One hand reached up to a chain on her neck and pulled a broken golden and sapphire trinket.

"What?!"

"This is all that's left." She was holding the broken key close to her heart. She let tears fall freely down her face as she continued telking the story for the second time of the day.

"When Tartaros attacked, I was separated from everyone facing one of the strongest members alone. I was severely beaten and nearly out of magic. I knew I was going to die soon."

Rogue lifted his hand and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. She still didn't look him in the eye but she didn't push him away either.

"Aquarious was my mother's spirit. I inherited her key after my mother's death. Aquarious was the last connection I had with her."

A sob was heard and the grieving girl fell onto Rogues shoulder.

"What happened to her?" Rogue wrapped his arm around Lucy in a comforting manner while she cried freely on his arm.

"She told me about a way I could defeat not only my opponent but the entire Tartaros army. I didn't want to do it. I begged her not to make me but it was the only way to save everyone."

Rogue could smell her pain. It hurt him to know she was holding back when all he wanted to do was comfort her.

"You can tell me Lucy."

She sniffles and finally looked him in the eyes.

"I killed her."

A fresh wave of sobs could be heard and Lucy broke down. Rogue wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her in for a hug. She cried so hard his shirt was smoked but he didn't care. He just rocked her back and fourth, rubbing her hair and waiting for her to finish.

"I... I broke her key. I had to do it in order to summon the celestial spirit king. I was the first human granted that power. The spirit king alone can defeat even the strongest of enemies, but the use of his power requires a sacrifice. I ended the war but I killed my mother's spirit. After that I went home and found a letter from Natsu. After everything I had just done to save him, he just left without saying goodbye. Then master disbanded the guild and everyone left me behind. Not one person other than Wendy bothered to find out what I had done to end the fighting. They didn't care."

Rogue was at a loss for words as the usually happy go lucky Lucy Heartfilia broke down to nothing but a mess of emoyional sobs in his arms. He felt like he was the only thing holding her together in that moment and he was scared to let go.

"It would be like if you killed Fro to save everyone and no one even acknowledged it. It hurts so much... Nothing has been good since then. Sometimes I wish..."

Her cries here becoming more scare and sleepiness began to take her over. She curled up in Rogues arms and whispered one final thought before passing out for the night.

"Sometimes I wish I had died with Aquarious."


	7. An Introduction to Punnishment

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 7! So I saw a review on FFN (This story is on multple platforms) that I've been spelling Yukinos sisters name wrong. I'll go back and edit that soon.**

**In this chapter we will see how Lucy reacts to her connversation with Rogue. She will also have her first lesson with Sting as his official tutor.**

**Don't forget to leave a comment! Now onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

Lucy woke up the next morning and groaned at the pounding headache she had. She was surprised to find herself in Yukinos bed with two exceeds sleeping next to her. She looked over to the pearl white bedside table and saw a note along with a glass of water and some pills.

_Lucy, Yukino and Sting spent the night together so I returned you home. I didn't want to leave you alone, but I can tell you are put off by my presence so I left Lector and Frosch to leave you company. I hope you don't mind._

_I also left some hangover pills for you. They should kick in within five minutes. I will come to escort you to the guild at noon once I make sure Sting is prepared for your lessons. I would appreciate it if you'd leave me a list of items you need from the market or any special grocery requests as I will be stocking up during your lesson._

_Sincerely Rogue_

Blushing fiercely in embarrassment Lucy tried to remember the events of the previous night. She remembered being dragged to Rogue and Stings house and drinking... a lot... She also vaguely rembered talking to Rogue before nothing more would come to her.

Sighing she got up from bed and started to get ready for the day. She dug through her bags and found some clothes and her toiletries. Taking a look at the sleeping exceeds and confirming that they were indeed out for the count, she headed to the bathroom for a long hot bath.

Soaking in the steaming hot water was just what her aching muscles needed. Lucy was worried about seeing everyone after being drunk as she knew she had a tendency to act stupid when she was drunk.

Laying back she noticed The spout on the tub was dripping. She watched as drop after drop fell clearing her mind of everything, hoping she could remember something about the previous night. The steady drip of the faucet lulled her into a sense of meditation as flashbacks of a very emotional conversation flooded her mind.

"_He waisted ten years of my life."_

_"I killed her."_

_"I wish I had died with Aquarious."_

Snapping her eyes open Lucy mumbled a string of curses under her breath. She didn't want anyone to know about everything. She especially didn't want to put her problems on him. He had enough to worry about. And she still needed to make sure nothing happens to make him become evil.

Sighing in frustration she got out of the bath and wrapped herself in a towel. When she walked in the room and began getting dressed she heard two small yawns followed my the rustling of blankets. Two pairs of sleepy eyes met soft brown ones and Lucy was immediately greatful to the shadow mage for leaving his partner with her.

"Good morning Fro. Good morning Lector. Did you sleep well?"

Crawling out of bed, lucy couldn't help but gush at how adorable it was to see a red and green cat do morning stretches.

"Yea. But why are we here and not with Sting-kun and Rogue-kun?"

"Fro thinks so too!"

"Well Yukino slept over with Sting so Rogue brought me home and I guess he left you guys to keep me company."

"Fro knows why we're here!"

"Well us stupid!" Lector smacked the innocent exceed jn the head much to Lucy's displeasure.

"Lector! Apologize right now!"

"But Fro is keeping secrets again!"

"That doesn't mean you can hit him!"

"Fro is sorry! Rogue said it's a secret so Fro can't tell!" Tears were running down the poor things face and Lucy melted again.

"Its ok Fro. If you made a promise then you have to keep it. Promises are important and the only time it's ok to break them is if it's to save someone's life."

Both exceeds got quiet as they thought about what Lucy said. The way Lector saw it... The mighty Sting Eucliffe was willing to listen to her so he probably should too.

"Im sorry Fro. Fairy-san is right, if you made a promise you should keep it. I shouldn't have hit you."

Fros tears immediately disappeared and a smile broke out on his face as he tackled the maroon cat in a hug.

"Its ok Lector! Fro isn't angry!"

Lucy giggled at their antics and finished getting dressed. Since they were up north and it was September it was much colder thsn in Magnolia. So she wore a pair of black fur lined leggings with thigh high black leather boots. She also wore a dark purple sweater dress that landed mid thought just above where her boots stopped. Her waist length hair was pulled back in a very loose side braid and she finished the look with her leather belt, key ring, and leather pouch.

She then walked to the kitchen with the exceeds in tow before looking through the fridge for ingredients. She found some shrimp, fried rice, mushrooms, and eggs so she made shrimp omurice for herself and the exceeds.

After eating and cleaning up the clock struck noon and a knock was heard at the door. Lucy was surprised to hear the knocking at the final stroke of the clock but couldn't help but admire the puncuality of the person knocking.

Making her way to the front she opened the door to reveal a blushing Rogue Cheney. "How are you feeling?"

"Great actually. Thank you for the pills, and for bringing me home, and for leaving Fro and Lector! They were great company. I hope I didnt embarrass myself last night. I'm sorry if i did."

"You did nothing warrenting an apology." Rogues gaze fell on her confused honey colored orbs. He inhaled deeply and grew concerned when he noticed a familiar scent mixed in with hers. Though it was faint, Rogue recognized it immediately as the scent of shadows. But, why would Lucy smell like shadows if she was a stellar mage?

"My old team used to tell me I could be a handful when im drunk. I don't remember much, but I feel like I should say thank you. When I woke up this morning a lot of the things that have been bugging me feel a lot less stressful. That usually only happens after I breakdown unfortunately. So im guessing I had an anxiety attack while drunk and you listened to me before bringing me home. Is that right?"

Rogue was taken back by the accuracy she had for someone who didn't remember the prior events. "That's exactly what happened."

A look of panic quickly crossed her face and he knew she was worried about what she told him. He knew she was hiding things from him and for good reason so he hurriedly added...

"You talked about Aquarious. You explained how you sacrificed her to save everyone only to be abandoned in the end. But..."

Lucy was looking at the ground with tears filling her eyes. Rogue wanted more than anything to hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be ok. That no matter what happened before, he would protect her. Instead he lifted his hand and tilted her chin upwards, forcing her to face him.

His normally harsh gaze was softened when he looked into her eyes. He rubbed his thumb on her cheek, wiping away the beginnings of her tears. "I know how it feels to sacrifice a parental figures life."

Rogue thought about it for a few minutes before coming to a decision. "I understand you're still somewhat uncomfortable with me. I know you have your reasons but I think part of it may be my fault."

"You havent done anything wrong Rogue." Lucy sounded like she was talking to herself more than the man carressing her face.

"I'm... I'm not a very emotional person. I don't express myself well with others. It always comes out harsh even if I don't mean it to. I think if you got to know me some of the awkwardness would vanish. You're planning on accepting the room at my house?"

"I... yea. But only if it's not a big deal... I don't want to intrude." Lucy looked down but still hadn't removed Rogues hand. He was enjoying the feel of her skin and wanted to savor every second.

"Lucy look at me." He wanted to gaze into those stunning eyes and get lost in pools of amber forever. "There is nothing you can do that would be a burden on me. I offered my place because I wanted you there. And I promise that as long as you stay with me, I'll protect you. No one's going to bother you here. I promise."

"Rogue..." If it weren't for his dragon senses he probably wouldn't have heard her whisper his name over the sound of his own beating heart. Lucy had raised one of her hands and placed it over the one on her face. She wrapped her hand into his and pulled it to her side.

His heart began to hurt when she let go only to have all of his blood rush to his face when she fell into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He quickly responded, wrapping his own arms around the girl, pulling her close and praying she understood his promise was genuine.

"Rogue, thank you. I... I just..." She lost the ability to speak as she began to cry again. Not wantong to ruin her hair, Rogue lowered his arm so his hand was resting just above her rear. He then began to rub gentle but firm circles on her lower back causing her body to instinctively melt into his.

From what Yukino told him, this happened often and it was a symptom of Lucy's anxiety disorder. He was thankful that she trusted him enough at least to allow him to comfort her. He knew all to well she had been holding something big in. He swore on his onhor as a dragon that he wouldn't be another in a long line of people to leave her alone when she was so obviously crying out for help.

He wouldn't abandon her.

**_I won't leave her! _**

XxX

Thirty minutes later a happy looking Lucy entered the guild with two cheerful looking exceeds and a stotic dragon slayer following behind. They made their way up the stairs to Stings office, ignoring the whispers and stares from the normally quiet guild members.

"Who's the new chick?"

"Yo Rogue, what's with the hottie?"

"If memory serves me correctly, she's the Fairy M'Lady beat to a pulp during the GMG."

"What's someone like that doing here?"

After successfully dodging questions from multple guild members, Lucy, Rogue, Frosch, and Lector walked into Stings office to find him cowering in a corner with Yukino throwing books and lacrima videos at him.

"Fuck you Sting! I'm so sick of your shit it's unreal!"

Completely ignoring the group that had just walked in, Yukino turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Unsure of what they had just witnessed, Lucy cleared her throat slerting Sting to her presence. "Erm hi Sting. Is everything ok?"

"You gotta help me lucy! I fucked up!" Sting jumped up and grabbed Lucy by the shoulders shaking her like a rag doll. Her eyes soon became swirled with dizziness and Rogue snatched the poor girl from Stings grasp.

"What is wrong with you you idiot! Cant you see you're hurting her!" Rogue used his shadows to trip his brother causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Yukino broke up with me."

"We noticed when she nearly took your head off with lacrima! What did you do this time?"

Lucy was rubbjng her head getting over her dizziness and separated herself from Rogue with a soft smile. She turned to Sting and listened to his explanation.

"She was washing my clothes from my last mission and found a number in my pocket. You know the red head that I met when we broke up last time?"

Rogue groaned in irritation and lucy deadpanned. "You're an idiot Sting. You cheated on her?!"

"No! It wasn't like that!" Sting was frantically waving his arms in front of his face as Lucy's aura turned deadly. She grabbed Tarus key and activated her stardress. Grabbing her whip she prepared to deliver the ultimate punishment when Rogue grabbed her wrist gently.

"Let him explain before you kill him."

Not wanting to listen to nonsense Lucy angrily agreed only because she noticed the two crying cats. She felt bad for scaring them but she needed to assert her dominance if she was going to survive the next year.

Sting went back to cowering in the corner as he begged for mercy. He had never seen someone so scary. Even Minerva wasn't as scary as a pissed off Lucy. Now he knew why they called her succubus light of Fairy Tail.

"Last night was the first time Yukino talked to me in 6 months. I hooked up with some chick on my last mission but it didn't mean anything. Plus Yukino had broken up with me so I didnt technically cheat!"

In Lucy's mind that response was sarcastic and unacceptable. She whipped her whip and gave sting an electrocuted last on his back. The Light dragon slayer howled out in pain as the pure heavens light pierced his sinful flesh.

"Don't technically me! You slept with Yukino while planning to hook up with the redhead in the future!"

Another three lashes and Sting was on his knees breathing heavily.

"No!"

Another three lashes and Sting was face down on the floor. He was bleeding and crying silently prating he could calm her down.

"You're a liar! You were planning on sleeping with her the next time my sister got tired of your sorry ass!"

"What? Sister... I didn't?" Her whips became erratic and Sting jumped up trying to dodge them only to be met by a golden fist punching him in the mouth.

" No I didnt! I wasn't!"

Sting was in shock at how easily this small girl was taking him out.

"Then why do you still have her number?!"

Letting his guard down bit him in the ads immediately as three more lashes struck his back. How she even got behind him, he had no idea.

"I forgot to throw it away! I'm sorry!!!"

Lucy (thankfully) put her whip away. But that didn't mean she was done. Before anyone could react, Sting was met with a regulus Lucy Kick to the stomach and sent flying into his desk.

"I don't want your apology! I'm going to beat some sense into you if it's the last thing I do! I'm so fucking tired of men only thinking about getting in bed with a girl! We have fucking feelings you know!"

Another golden kick followed up with four golden punches. Poor sting was beaten and bruised when she suddenly spoke to Rogue.

_They shouldn't see this_... "Rogue please take Lector and Fro out for ice cream." Without looking Lucy dug into her leather pouch and handed rogue some jewl. He accepted the money and rushed the exceeds out of the room hoping the pissed off celestial mage didn't actually kill his guilds master.

Looked like Stings first day of training with Lucy was teaching him who's in charge.


	8. Mysteries Revealed

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 8! So in this chapter we are going to learn a bit about Rogues past. It's a little sad and I realized after writing it that Rogue is a little ooc in this chapter but oh well! Lol. So I really hope you guys enjoy this little bit of RoLu action. I promise there will be much more in the future but we are just getting started! Anyway enough with my blabbering... Onto the story!!!**

**This chapter was beta read and edited by**

**celestialprincess26 from FFN!**

**XxX**

It was nearly nine o clock when Lucy finally left the guild and made her way towards Rogues house. She had spent four hours beating Sting to a pulp and an additional four hours lecturing him on how a real man behaves. Apparently Elfman rubbed off on her.

She was so frustrated when she left the guild that it never occoured to her that she didn't remember where Rogue lived. Insecurity began to creep up on her as ahe realized the perdiciment she found herself in.

She was a 22 year old good looking woman, alone, at night, in a big city she was unfamiliar with, and she was pretty much out of energy from her 'lessons' with Sting. Carefully she began to walk in the direction of Yukinos house. Thinking she could get directions from her sister and check up on her at the same time, Lucy was excited as ahe found Evergreen RD. As she made her way down the block she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her. The sound of a twig snapping under somethings weight startled her into a run.

Unfortunately she wasnt fast enough. She felt a sharp pain radiate throughout her body before falling to the ground. She couldn't move. She coukd barely breathe. She felt like her body was being burned and electrocuted at the same time. She coukd feel her vision blurring. Everything was spinning and she was fighting to stay awake. The last thing she saw was a man with blood red hair laughing hysterically while walking towards her.

Then...

Everything went black.

**XxX**

It was nearly nine and Rogue had just put Frosch to bed. He decided he'd waited long enough for Lucy to return on her own and put on his boots before heading out the door. His plan was to head to the guild to retrieve Lucy since Sting was probably in a coma by now, but that quickly changed when he smelled the alluring scent of Coconut and Ginger coming from the opposite direction of the guild.

Rogue figured Lucy must have gotten lost looking for his house and followed her scent. It only took him about five minutes to find her but when he did...

He was furious.

A man in his mid thirties with blood red hair wearing a solid red jumper was standing over Lucy's unconscious body. Her keys were tossed haphazardly on the grass ten feet from her and her whip was no where to be found. Blood was dripping down her forehead and before he knew it, Rogue saw red.

He lost control of his own actions and let his inner dragon take over. Black scales began to appear across his body while his hair blew upwards with the pressure from the magic power granted from his Dragon Force. Tribal looking tattoos began to draw themselves on his arms and neck and his eyes glowed a red to rival satin himself.

How dare this man hurt Lucy? How dare this man touch what was _his_?! A primal roar escaped Rogues mouth as he ran straight for the man.

The man in red heald up his hand and chanted something in a foreign language that Rogue didn't understand when suddenly his body began to sting. He felt like millions of fire hot needles were piercing every inch of his flesh.

"What magic is this?" Rogue could feel the electric shock and blistering heat flowing through his body causing him extreme pain.

"This, child, is called Nerve Magic. I can control the amount of pain, hunger, pleasure, fear, sadness, and anger in a person with the wave of my hands. Give up _dragon_ and I might let you be my pet."

A fresh shot of pain rushed through Rogue as he collapsed to the ground. He looked back at Lucy's still sleepimg figure and began to feel something he couldn't quite describe. All he knew was he would not fall to this madman. He would protect her. He wouldnt let anyone else hurt her.

"It doesn't matter how much pain you cause... I promised Lucy I would protect her and I will!"

Using all of his physical strength Rogue pushed himself up off of the ground and stared the man in the eye. A flicker of fear could be seen in his black eyes as Rogue slowly took one step in front of the other.

Step...

Step...

Step...

Until finally, Rogue was inches from the man's face.

"You hurt Lucy. That is simply something I can not allow."

Rogue took a deep breath and looked the man dead in the eye before unleashing a huge shadow dragon roar. The man flew over twenty feet before landing on the ground, slamming his head and breaking his neck in the process. Knocking on deaths door, the man struggled to breathe as he tried and failed to issue one final attack. The pain from his nerve magic immediately stopped and Rogue ran to Lucy's side.

He was confused at the emotions he was feeling. Anger, guilt, sadness, fear. He had never felt these things all at once and especially not for a girl. It angered him to no end. But at the same time he liked feeling needed.

"Fuck... Lucy, I'm so sorry. I should've come sooner."

He picked her up bridal style before walking over to where her belt and keys lay discarded. It was then that he noticed the torn whip laying next to the belt. Sighing, he picked the items up and carried Lucy back to his house.

**XxX**

When they arrived he used his shadows to transport them directly in front of Lucy's bed. He laid her down and ran to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit and some hot water.

He rushed back to the room to find Lucy still sleeping. He decided to work on the more embarrassing wounds while she was out of it.

He started by removing what was left of Lucy's shirt and throwing them away. He then took a hot soapy wet rag and wiped the dirt and blood from her chest. There was a very deep cut running down the valley of her breasts and up to her throat. It almost looked like he had used her whip against her before he broke it.

After cleaning the wound Rogue went to work on stitching her up. It was so hard for him to concentrate. He would be lying if he said he didn't sneak a peek at Lucy's now bare chest. He felt horrible but _kami_ if she wasnt perfect in every way possible.

He hurried and stitched up her chest and neck before putting one of his favorite tee shirts on her. Then he moved onto the small cut on her head. After that he moved onto her arms and hands when she began to wake up.

"Lucy?! Are you ok? Lay down, you need to rest."

The heavily injured woman was trying to get out of bed despite the obvious pain she was in. She winced when she attempted to sit causing Rogue to panic internally.

"He took my keys! I have to go-" Rogue quickly grabbed Lucy's arms and forced her to lay back down... much to her annoyance.

"Lucy please! I have your keys right here."

Hoping to calm her down he handed her her brown belt and tattered whip. Thankfully it worked and she began to settle down once the precious items were in her possession again.

"Rogue... I don't..." Tears were welling up in her eyes as relief took her over. "Thank you!"

"Lucy please, lay down and tell me what happened." Thanking the heavens she calmed down, he began to restitch her wound on her stomach that she had ripped open while attempting to get up. Now that she was calmer, he wanted answers. He needed to know why that man randomly attacked her.

"I'm sorry Rogue. I was looking for Yukinos house so I could check on her and get directions to your house when that guy Osmo showed up and attacked me."

"Osmo?"

Rogue was clearly confused. Lucy seemed to know the man who attacked her. Was she being followed? Were people after her? Would he be able to keep her safe? Lucy seemed to notice Rogue was struggling so she quickly explained who exactly the man was.

"Osmo is a dark mage I took down a few years ago ... well I guess technically it was ten years ago... Either way I sent him to prison for forcing himself on women. I didnt know he had been released or I would have been on guard."

Rogue was disgusted upon hearing the man was a convicted rapist and a new set of anxiety took him over. What if he hadnt gotten there in time? Would Lucy have been assaulted? Is that what he walked in on? His biggest concern however was how seemingly easy that man took Lucy down.

"How did he defeat you so easily?! You were so strong back with Sting? Plus you've already defeated him once. I dont understand."

"That's because Sting was being submissive. He wasnt fighting back. If he was he would've killed me with one hit. I'm a weak mage... That's why Natsu..."

"Never mind. Are you ok though? He _didn't..._do anything to you did he?"

"N-no! ... I was still consious when you showed up. You got there right on time. He was unbuttoning his pants when you attacked. You saved me. Thank you. I... I'm sorry I'm so useless."

Lucy's eyes were welling up with fresh tears as the thought of being a burden entered her mind. She knew her lack of power was part of the reason things didn't work between her and Natsu and she had hoped to avoid trouble while staying in Sabertooth. She wanted to get stronger. That's why she had planned on choosing Sabertooth regardless of Makarovs suggestion. Unfortunately her plans weren't working out so far.

"You're not weak. I forbid you from saying that in my presence ever again." A rare smile graced his lips causing a fierce blush to creep up on Lucy's cheeks. She might have some apprehension about him, but damn did Rogue look good. At least those were Lucy's thoughts on it. Rogue sat down on the door of her bed and looked down deep in thought. After a few moments he began to speak again.

"Becides, I made you a promise didn't I? As long as you stay with me I _will_ protect you. There's something you need to understand about dragon slayers. The longer we are with our dragon's, the closer to a dragon we are."

"That's so cool! How long were you with your dragon?" Lucy's eyes brightened with curiosity much to Rogues pleasure. A new surge of unknown emotions filled him up as he began to explain a bit about himself.

"Thirteen years. Unlike most dragon slayers, my dragon was my biological father."

"Wait so does that mean...?"

Again, silence filled the room. He was contemplating weather or not to tell Lucy about his past. The only people who already knew about his past were Frosch, Sting, Lector, and Yukino. He didnt trust anyone else enough to tell them the whole story.

But Rogue also knew he and Lucy were connected in ways other people weren't. He didn't know what it was, but he knew his future self did something horrible to her. She _deserved_ to know the truth more than anyone.

With his decision made Rogue took a few deep breaths before turning to Lucy, silently apologizing for the story he was about to tell her. He prayed that she wouldn't fear him more. He hoped tellimg her the truth would bring them closer. These emotions he was feeling were driving him mad. He couldnt understand why he was ready to be so open with this woman but damnit if he was going to ignore what his instincts were telling him.

_Well... Here goes nothing..._

"What I am about to tell you must remain between us. My team are the only other people who know what im about to tell you. You may discuss it with them but no one else. In case you're wondering my team is Sting, Yukino, Frosch, and Lector. I really hope you dont hate me after I tell you this."

After getting a firm promise from Lucy to keep the secret, Rogue took one more breath and began talking.

"Ok so... I know you're... uncomfortable around me, but keep an open mind...I'm not _just_ a dragon slayer, technically, I'm a dragon. That is why I have so few friends. My inner nature doesn't... coexist well with humans."

Lucy put her hand to her chin and bit her lip in thought for a bit. Rogue was nervous she would be mad or scared but she surprised him by not seeming to care at all.

"What does that have to do with your promises though?"

He deadpanned. This girl was _really_ something else. Yukino and the exceeds had flipped when he told them, but Lucy was more interested in what it _meant_ to be half dragon.

For some reason ... that turned him on much to his confusion and horror. He decided to ignore his thoughts for the moment and explain a bit more.

"A dragon only has a few things in his life that he is willing to die to protect. His honor, his loyalty, his bonds, his mate, and his offspring. Seeing as I don't have a mate or offspring, I take my promises in more extreme seriousness than anyone else. Except probably a celestial mage."

She blushed a bright cherry red and lost her ability to speak clearly.

"W-what do.. do y-you me-mean?"

"As a celestial mage your word is your bond. Your loyalty lies deep within your soul. Of all celestial wizards left, I can tell you are the most loyal. That must be why they call you princess among the heavens... You are simply the most honorable mage on Earthland and probably beyond. "

Rogue chuckled in his deep voice at Lucy's sudden shyness. He found this behavior adorable, and he decided he liked embarrassed Lucy.

"S-stop saying such s-silly things Rogue."

After a few moments Rogues face went back to being sullen. He looked down and began to try to think of a way to be 100% honest with Lucy. He felt he could leave the story there but in actuality, he decided to continue, knowing she was struggling with the guilt of killing her mother's spirit.

"Lucy..."

The seriousness in his voice caught her off guard. She straightened up as much as she could and looked at a guilt stricken man. She wondered why he went from laughing to near tears so quickly.

"R-rogue?"

"I want... I need..."

What did he want? What did he need? Could she help him? She _wanted_ to although she wasn't sure why.

"Rogue?"

She was getting really worried and was about to demand answers when he suddenly spat out

"I killed my father."

"W-what?!"

NOT what she was expecting. Their friendly conversation escellated quickly as he began to reveal more about his mysterious past.

"Skiadrum was the name of the dragon who raised me. Skia was the name of the man who fathered me."

"I don't understand?"

"My father is very much like Acnologia. He was once a noble dragon in line for the throne with the ability to transform into a human. He was also one of the dragons to create dragon slayer magic... my mother being one of the first dragon slayers. He had the ability to use his human or dragon form at will but eventually he became crazed and slaughtered my mother shortly after my birth."

A silent tear slid down his cheek and Lucy knew he was truly hurting and struggling to tell her this story. She wanted to tell him he didnt need to say anymore. That it was ok if he wasnt ready but that's not what came out of her mouth. Instead sge said...

"Oh my go- Rogue..."

And Rogue continued his story.

"His grief was what brought him back to reality so he took me and raised me in his true dragon form, swearing to never become a human again... and he never did..."

A far away look crossed his face as he continued the heart shattering tale. "When I was thirteen I learned what I thought was the truth about what Skiadrum had done to my mother. By then he was sick with a shadow takeover curse that was incurable.

I confronted him. I demanded answers and that's when he gave me a book. He said everything I ever need to know would be in that book. He infused the last of his power into me so that one day, I could find a mate and become a better provider than he was... A better protector."

Lucy was at a loss for words so she sat silent.

"He never asked for my forgiveness. He never asked for mercy. He simply gave me everything I would need to survive and accepted his fate."

In a show of emotion that he had only displayed twice before in his life... Rogue began to cry. Lucy pulled him into a hug and began rubbing his scalp in a soothing manner.

"It took me two years to read the book. When I finally did... I thought I deserved to die. My father hadn't killed my mother in a fit of insanity. It turned out, my mother had a severe case of after birth psychosis. She thought I was a devil because of my eyes and tried to kill me. My father killed her to _save_ me. I killed him for nothing!"

A very unrogue like sob escaped his lips and Lucy hugged him tighter... not caring that she now had the man's face pressed against her chest much like when Erza would hug her.

"It wasn't for nothing."

"But-"

"You said your father was ill correct?"

"Yes."

"So I imagine that meant he was in some sort of pain?"

"Y-yea he was..."

"How did you find out about your mother?"

His eyes grew dark and he decided he might as well tell her everything... Even the parts his team didn't know.

"I happened to overhear him arguing with Metalicana one night about her. Gajeel was her firstborn son and like me, his father was also his dragon. This was four years before my father mated her for himself."

It took Lucy a minute to process what he said. Gajeels mother and Rogues mother were the same person? _This one person mated with two dragons?! What the hell!_ Lucy thought with a blush on her face.

"Wait so Gajeel ..."

"Yup... Gajeel is my half brother. We have the same mother she was a celestial and script mage as well."

That part was suprising to Lucy. So Gajeels mother used script magic like Levy? And she also used celestial magic like me and Yukino. That's amazing! But that also means...

"So you found out about what happened on accident. And you only heard half of the story and got angry because of the part you did hear? I dont mean to sound rude but, did it ever occur to you that maybe your father did what he thought was best for you?"

Lucy flinched when Rogue abruptly sat up and broke away from her. He looked conflicted like he was angry and confused, which she understood. What she said could come off as abrupt but she didn't expect him to get mad at her!

"What on earth do you mean?!"

He was starting to scare Lucy and she accidently whimpered which he noticed.

_Shit_! "I'm sorry Lucy." He sat back down and took a deep breath. He grabbed both of her hands and looked right in her eyes.

"What you said upset me but I understand you didn't intend to harm me. Can you explain what you meant by that?"

Lucy smiled warmly and squeezed his hand gently before she kindly explained.

"Your father was in pain and already close to death. You were angry after learning your father killed your mother. You needed revenge. He wanted a way out. And you needed to obtain your power. What better way to kill three birds with one stone? You could get the revenge you thought you needed, gain true dragon slayer powers, and end his suffering... With just one action, everyone's pain is gone and everyone is happy."

Rogue was stunned. How could this broken woman push aside her own fears to comfort him not only with her words but with her actions as well? Wasn't she scared of him? Why was she saying such insightful and helpful things? It was like she knew exactly what Rogue needed to hear.

"I... I never thought about that..."

And that was true. He had never once thought of the most logical conclusion. He realized she was right and that was probably _exactly_ what had happened.

"Your father sacrificed himself for you. He wanted you to be a true dragon slayer but knew you wouldn't kill him unless provoked. He used the situation to help you both."

"Lucy..."

Tears were now flowing freely down both of their faces. Rogue was confused. Something inside him wanted to believe this golden haired angel in front of him. Part of him wanted to hide her away so he could have her pure spirit all to himself.

"It wasn't your fault Rogue!"

Lucy was just as conflicted as Rogue. Here in front of her sat the man who terrorized her dreams for years. Yet she felt nothing but pity and longing. She _wanted_ to comfort him. She wanted to know everything about him and she wanted to be the one to calm his fears.

"I don't know how you do it."

Neither person realized they had been slowly inching towards each other. They were now only a few inches from each other. Rogue wiped Lucy's tears with his thumb and Lucy reasoned by leaning into his hand.

To her, it felt right. She _knew_ she was supposed to be terrified but instead she felt like she wanted his touch more. Her eyes closed and she hummed in content.

"You say youre weak but you're anything but... I told you that story hoping to comfort you and here you are, comforting me." There was a slight hint of seduction in his tone that sent shivers down Lucy's back.

"I care about my friends. I care about you. I don't want to see you hurting."

That was it. In that moment Rogue realized what these feelings were. Once in a lifetime, a dragon will find his _true_ mate. The person with whom a dragon shares a soul with. Most dragon's simply settled for a mate of their choosing but on that rare occasion when a dragon finds his true mate... his whole world changes and she becomes the _only_ thing worth living for.

"Lucy.."

Rogue had found his mate.

"Rogue..."

And he would do anything in his power to have her. She was _his_.

Their faces inched slowly together until they could taste each other's breath. Out of instinct, their eyes began to close. Their lips briefly brushed against each other when a sleepy yawn was heard from the doorway. Breaking apart with huge blushes on their faces, they looked anywhere but at each other.

"Fairy-san you're back! Fro is hungry!" A very excited exceed in a pink frog costume jumped on the bed in between the two embarrassed mages. His eyes beamed with love as he curled up onto Lucy's lap and caught up with the pretty lady that made his father so much nicer.

"Actually, I haven't eaten since this morning myself." Frosch giggled when Lucy's stomach grumbled and this (thankfully) seemed to lighten everyone's mojd as all of the tension left the room.

"Ah well everyone follow me. I thought you may be hungry after dealing with Sting."

Frosch and Lucy cheered as they followed behind the now content dragon slayer.

"Hey Rogue?"

Lucy _finally_ noticed she was wearing a comfortable but unfamiliar shirt. It definitely wasn't something Virgo picked out.

"Yea?" He had no idea what was coming.

"Who changed my clothes?!"

**XxX**


	9. Lesson Day One

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 9! So I forgot to mention something that someone pointed out to me... Lucy is even more emotional about sacrificing Aquarious because Lucy is under the impression that she will never see her again. She does not know that the key will be reborn one day so she thinks the actually killed her.**

**So this chapter will mainly be focused on Sting and Lucy's lessons. There won't be many of these chapters but I thought it would be a good idea to give you an idea of what Lucy is teaching him.**

**Also I named the town Sabertooth is in Aconitum. It's the name of a beautiful but poisonous flower. Since the location of Sabertooth is unknown and Fiores cities names are flower based, I am going to try to keep this tradition going.**

**The next chapter will have more fluff and RoLu action so I hope you guys are ready. I'm also taking a vote on Lucy and Rogues first "date" vote by commenting your choice!**

**Choice 1: a small village festival**

**Choice 2: a frozen glowing flower field in the moonlight**

**Choice 3: a hot spring**

**Choice 4: a pool party at the guild**

**Don't forget to vote!!! Now onto the story...**

**XxX**

It was a bright day in Aconitum. The Sabertooth guild hall was filled with members anxiously awaiting the new job postings for the week. Most were surprised by a flyer posted in place of the jobs. Some were angry at the loss of opportunity to make money for the day, while others were excited to have a random day in the middle of the week to relax. No matter their personal feelings, each member took the time to read Stings announcement.

_\--_

_By order of your awesome Master the Almighty Sting Eucliffe, ALL members of Sabertooth are to attend a party in honor of our year long guest!_

_Attendance is not a request. You will arrive at 7 pm sharp Friday September 7th. There will be an important announcement regarding how The guild will operate from here on out along with information on upcoming projects. Be prepared to listen and have fun! The party will run until the booze runs dry!_

_-Master Sting Eucliffe_

_\--_

Not wanting to deal with the harsh glares or invasive questions, Lucy requested Rogue teleport them via shadows to Sting's office in hopes of avoiding the crowd. She had rather enjoyed his

ability and figured it would be fun to try it.

He obliged happily, putting his arms around her and pulling her close while

allowing his shadows to wrap around them like a cocoon.

Instantly they were inside of a bruised

Sting's office and Lucy quickly detached herself from Rogue's hold with a blush on her face.

"Ah... Lucy! ... You're here early... Im prepared just like you said! Please don't hit me!"

Sting's face was covered in bruises but other than that he looked fine. Scared but fine.

"Idiot." Rogue muttered under his breath. He took a sharp inhale of breath, already annoyed with the blonds presence. How Lucy could deal with him, locked in an office for long periods of time, he would never know.

"Sting stop being stupid. Lucy, I will be heading to the market did you make your list yet?"

Lucy grinned like a moron as she handed Rogue a slip of paper.

"Yes I did! Here you go. And here's some jewel for-" As she reached in her bag to give him money to cover her expenses, Rogue stopped her by grabbing her wrist and looking deep into her eyes.

"Put that away. I asked for your list not your money."

Was it wrong of Rogue to enjoy the sight of an embarrased Lucy wiggling under his touch? Yes. Did he care? Not really.

"Erm..."

Thinking her blush couldn't get any redder, he released her wrist and gave her a warm look. His lips didn't move but he might as well have been smiling. The look sent chills down Lucy's spine and a certain aroma started to hit Rogue's senses. He knew he needed to hurry up and leave.

"I will be back at five to escort you home. Sting do not try anything or you will answer to me is that understood?"

A deathly gray aura surrounded him as images of his perverted brother trying to woo Lucy filled his brain. His eyes started glowing red and he prepared to attack with a warning strike when he heard a soft whimper from behind him.

Realizing he was scaring Lucy, he calmed down and gave Sting a hard glare.

"Understood?"

"Y-yea." Sting sighed in relief. Rogue turned back to Lucy and placed a chaste kiss on her hand before saying his goodbyes.

"Farewell Lucy." And with those two words Rogue allowed his shadows to surround him slowly and he melted into the darkness before vanishing completely.

"Show off." Sting muttered. He couldnt help but be amused. Seeing the young woman in front of him interact with his brother was like watching one of Yukino's novellas. He decided right then and there that Lucy was too good for Fairy Tail. He had a year to come up with a plan to

convince her to stay with Sabertooth.

He made a mental note to make up with Yukino so she could help him scheme.

With Yukinos help they could do it. Sting could just imagine the good influence Lucy would be on the members of his guild. Rogue would become more open with his feelings. Yukino could

get the sister she always wanted and Minerva could get the friend she desperately needed. His decision was final as 3rd Guild Master of Sabertooth...

By the end of the GMG, Lucy

would be a full fledged member of Sabertooth.

**XxX**

"So Sting, we need to start today off with you explaining to me what you already know about running a guild. It will be easier for me to go from there."

Lucy was sitting on a crushed blue and silver velvet cushioned bench with a notepad and pencil in her hands.

"Well I know how to decline worthless jobs."

_Great way to start a conversation_, she thought sarcastically.

"There's no such thing."

Sting snorted at her 'ignorance'. Obviously low paying jobs and non-magic requests are worthless insignificant jobs.

"Finding a lost cat is a worthless mission."

He was surprised at how annoyed the blonde looked while writing something down.

"Does this guild not have any children?"

Sting was stunned. That was a completely random question that had nothing to do with what we were discussing.

"Well there are a few but they aren't official members because they can't take missions."

"And why can't those 'worthless' missions be practice jobs for them? The reward can be used towards their magical training. You could have your S class mages each take on an apprentice.

Anything they need financially will be taken care of with the rewards from the children's missions."

Oh? That actually wasn't a bad idea. It got Sting thinking about children, and an image of a silver spiky haired boy and blond girl with a bob cut crossed his mind, causing a blush to creep up his face. He shook the thought from his mind and focused. He thought how nice it would be for the kids to do missions of their own.

When he was a child, he was living in a cave learning magic. Surely learning magic this way in a safe controlled environment would be better for

them? Would this help make his most brutal guildmates more caring towards their fellow Sabers? The entire idea of having thrown out hundreds of learning opportunities hit him like a

ton of bricks.

"That's... not a bad idea."

Lucy seemed to soften at this statement. So Sting figured that the day wouldn't be all bad if he could try to not be so sarcastic.

"What else can you do?"

"I know how to pay fines to the Magic Council."

The color drained from her face and he just laughed. She must have thought the fines were for something massive.

"What kind of fines?"

Sting chuckled and sat back in his chair.

"Mostly late fees for paperwork and the occasional destruction fees from city jobs."

Lucy's smile returned and she jotted something down in her notebook.

"Ok that's normal. Why is your paperwork always late?"

"Because it takes me forever to do it. I don't understand half of it and it's all over the place."

Looking around the messy room Lucy could understand why Sting felt overwhelmed. Papers were strewn about and everything was mixed up. At least it would be easy to fix.

"Well then it sounds like we need to work on four things... Seperating jobs by class and difficulty, organization of paperwork so it makes sense, you'll also need to learn about budgeting and lastly, you'll need to learn about S class missions and what to do when you receive one. There's one other important thing I'll need to teach you about shadow guilds.

But it's top secret so we'll discuss it later on once I feel like you're responsible enough for the information."

"Ok so where do we start?"

Lucy put her notebook down and got up from her chair. She began picking the papers up and sorting them into different piles.

"I suppose we can start with orginazation. If your paperwork is organized by type and urgency it is much easier to handle."

Lucy spent the next thirty minutes teaching Sting how to separate important papers from less urgent ones. She taught him how it was important to answer anything from the Magic Council

the day he received it. She then taught him the difference in types of paperwork and how to tell requests from nonsense.

"So for today we're gonna work on one more thing. Don't give me that look... it'll be easy. We're gonna learn how to tell fake mission requests from real ones. Tomorrow I'll teach you how to

choose what to post based on urgency and payment but for today I've gathered a good amount of jobs. I'll have Yukino post them for me later."

The next hour was spent teaching Sting the tell tale signs of a fraudulent job posting. She shared a few stories about the dangers of fake job postings and warned him to always be on

the lookout.

When Lucy heard Sting mention it being nearly dinner time she smiled and decided to end things for the day.

"Good job today Sting. Tomorrow I will be arriving at one. I want you to go through the jobs and choose 75 to post on the mission board. You need to choose 10 S class, and 10 A class, the rest can be anything lower. We'll post them before we begin our lesson."

Sting was visibly upset about Lucy's homework but he decided against saying anything. At least he would be able to sleep in.

"Ok Blondie. Man this stuff is boring! I never realized being Guild Master was so much work."

Lucy giggled at his childish response. She knew he was only 23, of course the responsibility was getting to him. She was glad master trusted her with this job because she knew she would be

able to help for once. All she could do was encourage the light mage and hopefully the rest of their tutoring sessions would go just as smoothly as this one.

"Well its going to take some time for you to get used to doing everything the right way. Once you have a system in place, things become much easier."

"How do you know all this?"

Her features darkened a bit as sad memories filled her mind.

"My father believed that I needed to be able to offer more as a wife than the ability to bear children so he taught me how to do secretarial work for multi billion jewel businesses."

"That's insane!"

Sting was truly disgusted to hear Lucy was groomed her whole life to be married off like some pet. He may not have been the nicest guy or the most faithful ... but even he knew every woman deserved the chance to fall in love and get married.

"Yea, but it's pretty useful... As you can see for yourself."

Sting wouldn't deny her skills. In the few hours she had been there, she had tossed out a quarter of his paperwork and organized everything else. Sting was about to say something else when he noticed the familiar nutty coffee scent of his brother enter the guild and decided

instead to end their time together.

"Well I guess today wasn't too bad. I'll go through these tonight and have them ready tomorrow. Rogue just got here you should go meet him."

"But how...?"

Sting chuckled at Lucy's confusion. Didn't her guild have four dragon slayers in it? She should know his senses are super strong.

"Dragon senses baby! Oh wait before you go..."

Sting opened a deep drawer in his desk and pulled out a rather large burlap bag filled to the brim with jewel. Lucy gasped at the sight and her eyes grew wide when he motioned for her to take the bag.

"Your first months payment! Rogue mentioned your room needed stuff so tomorrow after we post jobs, we will work until three and then you can leave early and get settled in. I figured we can do lessons Monday through Friday until dinner. If that's ok?"

Lucy was still in shock at the money. Sure master had told her she would be getting paid, but to be given a bag of money was a surreal feeling. It took her a minute to gather her thoughts before she finally answered.

"Thank you! And that's perfect. But if we're cutting out weekends we need to start coming in earlier. How about this? Tomorrow since its Thursday, we will plan the party and on Friday we will get the guild ready. Starting Monday, we will meet at nine am until five pm each day except weekends. Sound good?"

Sting thought about it and although he hated the idea of waking up early every day, he remembered angry Lucy. He didn't want a repeat of that experience so he quickly agreed.

"Works for me! Well, you should get out of here ... I can smell Rogue's annoyance. Hahaha!"

She wondered how he could smell something like that but then remembered that slayers could smell fear as well. It wasn't that strange once she thought about it.

"Alright Sting, I'll see you tomorrow."

Lucy took the big bag with her mind filled with thoughts and a smile on her face. She waved goodbye before she headed down the stairs where Rogue was (not so) patiently waiting. His annoyed gaze softened when she met him at the bottom of the stairs and wordlessly they

walked out of the guild together.

**XxX**

**Hey monsters would you be interested in reading about what's going on in Fairy Tail while**

**Lucy is gone? Lmk in the comments along with your vote for RoLu dates!**


	10. Shopping Trip

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 10! As promised this chapter will contain fluff and some slight RoLu scenes! I probably rewrote this chapter 3 times before I liked it enough to post so I hope y'all enjoy!**

**ALSO...DON'T FOTGET TO VOTE FOR LUCYS FIRST DATE LOCATION IN THE COMMENTS!!!**

***12 pages for this chapter yay***

**THIS CHAPTER WAS BETA READ AND EDITED BY celestialprincess26 FROM FFN!**

**Now... Onto the story!**

**XxX**

It was a nice day outside and for that Rogue was greatful. It was always either too hot or too cold in his opinion. Usually there would be snow in Aconitum by September but for some reason on this particular year, the first snow had yet to fall. Instead it felt more like autumn... something the city was not used to.

Many people were taking advantage of the nice weather. Young children were having fun playing in the park without a care in the world, while their parents walked family dogs and drank coffee. Elderly couples were sitting in benches feeding the birds that had not yet migrated and laughter filled the air.

Piles of red and brown leaves lined the pathway that the raven haired man now found himself walking with the former fairy. A sigh escaped his lips as she seemed content to walk in comfortable silence with him. Fros occasional giggle or question was all the conversation needed between the three as they made their way to the local shopping district.

Since Rogue had planned for a man to be coming, he didn't bother to really _do_ anything to the room. Now that he knew it was Yukinos sister and Gajeel-sans mates best friend, he wanted to take her to buy furnishings to suit her tastes. He carefully planned out where they would be going today. By the time they got back to his house everything should have been delivered and he would cook dinner while she set her room up.

All in all he had a present day planned out for them. He knew Lucy had been through more than any one person should in a lifetime, in the span of three years, he also knew she was somewhat nervous if not afraid of him but he didnt know why.

He hoped this day would give them time to get to know each other and maybe ease some of the building tension building between the two.

Besides, if they were to share a home together for the next twelve months then they would need to get along. Right? The smell of freshly shaved wood filled his nose as they reached their first destination and their day officially began.

**XxX**

"Wow I've never seen so many different kinds of wood. This is amazing!"

Rogue chuckled to himself at the Fairy mages antics. Her eyes were wide with excitement as she ran her fingers over each type of wood.

"Yes. Our craftsman is one of the best in Fiore. He has wood imported from all over the world so his customers have the best options."

Lucy looked around and true to his word, Rogue pointrd out a catalogue filled with thousands of flooring options all made with imported wood. She was shocked and a little overwhelmed.

"I don't even know where to start."

Her joy was replaced by a frown and Rogue could smell her anxiety. He thought for a moment before figuring out a way to help.

"Well let's start with color. Do you like light or dark stained wood?"

Once he knew her preference he would choose a few options that wouldn't clash with the rest of his house and have her choose from those. It would probably be easier on both of them.

"Personally I prefer dark stained, but I wouldnt mind something exotic."

That was more than enough to work with. Dark and exotic... There were many of those but three popped into his head immediately. He only chose the fourth option because he thought it was a good mix of both of their tastes.

"Well there's African Blackwood, Sakura, Zebra, or Purple Heart wood."

As he named each one off, he pulled out samples from the shelf to give her an idea of what he was talking about. Thankfully, Lucy's eyes were bright again.

"Oh wow... I really like them all..."

He noticed her eying two in particular and came up with a solution.

"What are your two favorites?"

He asked her already knowing the answer, but he wanted to be certain first.

"Purple heart and Blackwood."

She answered without hesitation and Rogue knew what he needed to do.

"Then we will do Blackwood floors and Purple Heart furniture."

Shock was written on her face as she calculated the price for everything. It would be a stupid amount of money and she didn't feel right spending a months budget in one day.

"But that will cost all of my money!"

"The floors and furniture are on me."

She was absolutely flabbergasted as she tried and failed to form a coherent sentence. She didn't know how she felt about letting a man she hardly knew spend that much money on her. Someone might take it the wrong way and think she's using him. Or worse.

"But-"

Before she could even say anything, Rogue cut her off and explained his reasoning.

"No buts... You're a guest in my home and honestly this is something I should've had done before you got here."

Guilt filled the celestial mage as she realized he was only spending money because he felt obligated to take care of her in exchange for her teaching Sting.

"I'm sorry you have to do this."

"Don't be. It worked out better this way. I've been meaning to remodel that room for years anyway. Now I can make sure to have your room in a way you would enjoy it. To be honest I would've chosen marble floors... I just assumed you and Yukino had similar decor taste."

Lucy was surprised to hear that but it also made her feel better. Less guilty. She was glad someone cared enough to do these things for her, even if he was onlu being nice to get out of lessons with Sting. She then thought about her apartment and how she had wanted to remodel for years but couldn't because the funds simply weren't there. With her teams destructive tendencies she was lucky enough to make rent each month.

"Well my apartment is very... _pink_. I would put money into it to remodel but my old team breaks into my house so much that it would just be a waste of money. But here I know my things will be safe from fire swords and ice, so I want to do ot the way I _would_ do my apartment."

Rogue was a little annoyed to hear her old team cared so little about her privacy. He was glad that he could be a person to offer it to her. No one wpuld break into her room in his home so he knew her belongings would be safe.

"Well then, I'm honored to be the man to give you this opportunity."

Lucy giggled and blushed as he grabbed the two samples she chose.

"So now that we've chosen wood, what's next?"

He handed her a catalogue filled with different furniture designs. Flipping through, she was shocked at the number of choices.

"Next you'll need to choose a design for your furniture. Dont look at the price, just choose the ones you like best."

Rogue sat patiently for twenty minutes while she flipped through the magazine. He noted the way her nose schruched up in scrutiny at some styles and the far away look in her eyes when she saw something she liked. Finally, she made a decision.

"I like this dresser and armuar set. I love this desk right here but I can't choose between this bed and this one."

She was stuck between a queen sized slay style day bed and a queen sized bed with carvings in the headboard with posts to hang curtains around it. Rogue couldnt help but think her pout was adorable and let out a chuckle.

"You only need one bed Lucy. Which do you like more?"

"I... don't know... Will you pick?"

_Like I could ever say no to you Lucy._ He thought. Then a brilliant idea popped in his head.

"Erm... Yea... I, I'll be right back."

Leaving a giddy blonde behind, Rogue headed over to the woodsmith and placed his order. He chose the slay bed but paid extra to have the symbol of the twelve zodiac carved into it and lined with enchanted gold. The gold was chosen for more than looks, it was enchanted to ward off bad dreams. He prayed it would help with her night terrors.

After placing the order for her bed, he ordered a dresser with six drawers, an armour with enoigh room for jackets, shoes, and blankets, a huge writing desk with lots of shelves and drawers, and lastly he purchased a surprise vanity desk mirror and bench to be covered in dragon scales.

Once he chose a delicery time he called sting to make sure he would sign for the furniture and headed back to Lucy's side. When he arrived he saw her and Frosch had walked out of the shop and gone to an ice cream stand. He watched as lucy handed Frosch a big bowl of chocolate ice cream with salted fish toppings. She noticed him and grabbed two cones and headed his way.

"I didn't know what you liked so I got ypu one of my favorites. Mint and dark chocolate! Unless you want this one, it's coffee, one of my other favorites."

"Either is fine with me. Mint chocolate is actually one of my favorites as well."

Lucy handed him the dark brown cone with green ice cream and the trio got back to their trip.

"I got everything set up for your furniture. It will be done in a few hours."

Lucy took a big lick of her light brown cone and looked at him with questioning eyes.

"When can we pick it up?"

Frosch burped causing the trio to laugh before rogue answered her.

"It will be delivered to the house before five. Sting will be there to sign for it so by the time we get home your floors should be done and your furniture in your room. You'll probably have to set everything up though."

Lucy was surprised at how fast so much furniture could be bought. As if reading her mind Rogue elaborated.

"He's a wood and metal mage. He can finish up to thirty custom pieces a day because in his old age, he has mastered the art of both woodworking and metal working. Our order was relatively small compared to most."

Lucy nodded in understanding and thought back to what Rogue had said. She would arrive at his house to a brand new room with brand new furniture. She would need to arrange everything and unpack and cook dinner and get enough sleep to go to the guild. It was going to be a long night. Then she remembered and exclaimed,

"I will call out a few of my spirits. They wont mind helping me get settled in once we get home."

Hearing Lucy call his house home set off something in Rogues stomach. He felt like he had billions of butterflies inside of him, almost like he had tried to eat Stings light. He felt warm and content... like hearing her call it home made him feel complete. It would be their home. Lucy Frosch and himself. And he liked the sound of that.

There would be no more coming home to an empty house. No more lonely dinners. No more silence and lifelessness. _She_ was going to make his house home. He knew it.

When he noticed Lucy smiling at him, he realized he had been thinking for a few minutes. In fact everyone had already finished their ice cream by then. He snapped out of his daze and responded to her.

"That's good. So are you ready for our next stop?"

"Yea where are we going next?"

"Secilias Stitchings. We're going to get bedding, curtains, and towels. Possibly a new Cape for me. Would you like one as well?"

Lucy's eyes lit up in excitement at the idea of getting new clothes.

"A cape like yours?"

"Yes."

"I think I would like that actually. I'd also like to get a kimono if there's a place to do that."

He thought she would look stunning in a kimono. He could picture her with black and violet and gold trimmings. The thought sent shivers up his back and he decided he would let her choose one and order a few extra in different styles so she could wear them daily.

"Secilia makes all of my teams kimono. Im sure she's be more than happy to make one for you."

The basically permanent blush on her cheeks deepened as she nodded in agreement.

"I'd really like that."

A block and a half later, Rogue called out

"We're here."

She looked up to see Rogue motioning to a large building with a tiny old lady with brown hair pulled up in a tight bun standing in front.

**XxX**

After nearly an hour of being measured and choosing fabrics, Lucy found herself in a great mood. She never expected to have such an enjoyable time with the raven haired counterpart to the tourmenter of her dreams.

She had to admit she had been nervous about spending the day alone with the man, but she was glad Sting forced her to do it. So far he had treated her to breakfast at one of Fros favorite places, a complete remodel of her room including enchanted wood furnishings, and he'd even introduced her to a world renowned seamstress.

To say she was enjoying her free shopping spree would be an understatement. But it was nearing noon and she was starting to get hungry. It seemed Rogue was on the same page as her when he led her to a lovely french style café.

"This is called Readers Brew. It's basically a coffee shop slash book store. They also serve food here and have a selection of books you can rent out. I hope this place is ok."

She looked around and saw walls filled with shelves upon shelves of books. There was a baristas bar where you could order and then a covered patio area where you could eat and read. She was so excited she could barely contain herself.

"Its perfect! I didn't know places like this existed!"

Rogue was amused by her enthusiasm. He had hoped she somewhat enjoyed reading but he never thought she would show this much excitement.

"Yes. This is actually my favorite place to eat. I wasn't sure if you enjoyed reading but..."

"Are you kidding?! I love to read! I actually need to buy a new bookshelf soon for my apartment in Magnolia because my library is a bit full."

He was beyond relieved to hear she loved reading as much as him. Maybe it could be something they could bond over.

"We could have one made and delivered to your guild master."

She thought about that for a minute. She liked the idea but would rather use a book shelf while she was there.

"Maybe. I guess if I get one, I'd use it here for any books I collect in the nect year and take it back with me."

"We could do that. How about we go back to the woodsmith when he gets a new shipment of wood in a month?"

Lucy was beaming. Everything was going to plan much to Rogues relief. He had been worried today would be awkward but it seemed his attention to detail beforehand had been for the best.

"I'd love that. Thank you Rogue!"

"Its my pleasure. Now, what looks good to eat?"

**XxX**

It was nearly seven when Lucy and Rogue finally made it back to his house. He had bern the perfect gentalman all day. Paying for her shopping spree, carrying her bags, even going as far as to show her different paths back to his home.

I'm going to put these groceries away and start dinner. Your furniture should be in your room. If you'd like you can unpack and get settled in... I'll call you when the food is ready."

Thinking he couldn't surprise her more, he revealed himself to be handy in the kitchen as well. While she had been worried she would have to cook, he had already had that planned out too. She was very emotional thinking about how much thought he must have put into making her happy throughout the day. She wanted to make sure he understood how much she appreciated it.

"Ok. Thank you again Rogue. I really had a great time today... It's been a long time since I had fun."

"I'm sure tomorrow will be fun as well."

He noticed her face fall and sensed her anxiety rising again. Maybe she, like him, wasn't good with crowds.

"Yea but... I'm not really big on parties to be honest. Back at Fairy Tail they get out of hand really fast so I'm a little nervous to party with a bunch of people I don't know."

He could tell she was beginning to panic. Not wanting the days efforts to go to waste, he quickly pulled her into a hug. He felt her heartbeat quicken briefly before leveling out. Her anxiety began to drop and he looked down to see her big brown eyes looking up at him in question.

"That's understandable. But remember... Yukino, Sting, and I will be there with you. Even Frosch and Lector will be there."

"I know. Im still... I don't know... I'm sorry."

She burried her head into his chest and sniffled while trying to fight back tears. Rogue responded by squeezing her tighter and running one of his hands up and down her back.

"Its ok. How about this, if you feel too anxious we can leave and come back home. But you have to give it a chance at least. You need to meet your temperory guild mates."

She looked up into his eyes again and smiled softly.

"I know. And I will, I promise."

With one last squeeze, Rogue released her and shooed her away.

"Good. Now go unpack while I cook. Is bulgogi ok?"

"Yes! Its one of my favorites."

"Good."

With that Rogue turned toward the kitchen and began preparing to cook. Lucy on the other hand blushed before turning and walking up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom that was directly across from his own.

She now found herself in her beautiful new room. As promised, her floors were now shiny spotless African Blackwood and all four pieces of furniture were sitting in the corner waiting to be placed. She noticed a package from a craft store and opened it to find a plethora of writing materials to fill her desk.

She was now filled with conflicting emotions. It was becoming more and more obvious that this Rogue was not the same crazed man from the future. Yes he had the capability of becoming that monster but right now... he was a kind and caring man who had not only offered his home, but spent nearly half a million kewl on a shopping spree to cheer her up.

Maybe if she gave him a _real_ chance, she could help to keep him from succumbing to the darkness within him. They called her Fairy Tails Light, so maybe... Just maybe... she could be his light too.

With that thought fresh in her mind she pulled out Virgo and Lokes keys and prepared to set up her room for her first official nights stay at Rogues house.

**XxX**


	11. A Broken Childhood

word count 2,847**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 11! So this chapter was going to be the guild party but I couldn't really figure out how to add it in so I split this chapter into two.**

**_PLEASE COMMENT IDEAS FOR KINGS CUP TASKS OR TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONS/DARES. THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE A FUN ONE I'LL INCLUDE. THE BEST ONES_**

**So I know I've been updating chapters super randomly but I think I've come up with a way to make it work.**

**Starting next week I will upload every Monday Wednesday Friday.**

**ALSO**

**I wanted to let y'all know I'm taking any suggestions yall have to heart.**

**This chapter will be about Minerva and Lucy. Hope y'all enjoy also**

**DONT FORGET TO VOTE ON ROLU FIRST DATE**

**THIS CHAPTER WAS BETA READ AND EDITED BY celestialprincess26 FROM FFN!**

**Now, onto the story...**

**XxX**

When Sting stood on the stage in front of the guild, the rowdy bunch of mages grew silent. The young Guild Master stood proudly at the head of his people. To his right, a nervous celestial mage stood playing with her keys with a silent Rogue behind her. Yukino stood to Lucy's right, giving her hand a squeeze of encouragement as Sting began his speech.

"Everyone listen up! I'm sure some of you have noticed a new face around here for the last few days. Today, I'd like to introduce her. Everyone, this is Lucy-chan. She is the only other celestial mage in Fiore and is here from Fairy Tail acting as my official advisor. You will show her respect for the next year that she'll be with us."

He took a deep breath and looked everyone in the room over before he began explanations. He could see a handful of expressions throughout the mages. Some wore masks of indifference, while others were completely dumbfounded. Some looked happy and some looked guilty. Still others looked amused and even curious. But not one person looked angry. Sting took it as a good sign and continued.

"A few years ago we were the top guild in Fiore."

Cheers roared through the room. For a moment everyone celebrated their long standing fame, forgetting just how they came to gain those victories. Number one or not, under Jiminas rule... the Tigers were a disgrace to mages everywhere. It wasn't until the Fairies came into their lives that they saw the true path to strength.

Sting wanted to prove a point so he held up his hand to silence the lively bunch. After a moment, the last of the voices ceased and Sting sighed. Rubbing the back of his neck he looked down in shame as he continued his speech.

"It's nothing to cheer about. Back then we were a bunch of sadist and assholes. We thrived on the pain and embarrassment of others. We used brute strength to get what we wanted... and it worked. For a while anyway. But then we met the Fairies."

Sting pauses and looks warmly at Lucy. He doesnt know why, but he feels protective over the stellar girl, almost like she was his sister. A sister who would bring joy to everyone. She was precious and he had to make his comrades understand just how much.

"They taught us that if you are fighting only to become strong, you will always fail. True strength comes from our bonds. From our family. This guild is our family and it's a family that is broken. Lucy is here to help us pick up the pieces and start over. She's going to show us what true strength is by teaching us to love. By teaching us to forgive. With Lucy-chans help, we Sabers will come back stronger than ever! So let's make her feel welcome!"

Cheers erupted throughout the crowd and the clunking of glasses could be heard as the newly formed family toasted to a prosperous future. Bottles of sake and mugs of ale flew throughout the members and the celebration began.

**XxX**

"Lucy, let's go meet some of our guild members shall we?"

Lucy felt a warm arm snake it's way around her waist. Blushing fiercely she nodded shyly and allowed the man lead her through the sea of people.

"O...ok Rogue."

They made a few polite introductions on their way to the back of the guild. Their aim was the bar, and by the time they finally made it, Lucy had met over thirty people... a few of them children. Taking a seat, Rogue hands her a small menu and waves the bartender over.

"What can I get for ya Lucy-chan?"

A tall man with messy seafoam colored hair walked over cheerfully. Lucy was amazed at how big the guy was. He was built much like Elfman with tattoos on his face. She vaguely recalled he was a Lightning God Slayer mage that had competed in the GMG.

"I'd love a frozen blue Hawaiian."

The man seemed nice enough. He took her menu and answered before he smiled kindly at her and turned to Rogue.

"Commin right up! You want your usual Rogue?"

"Yes."

The man walked off for a moment, and Lucy swore she saw him use his lightning to stir the drinks. After about two minutes he returned with two drinks in hand.

"Here ya go... One blue Hawaiian slush and one crown and coke."

He sat a tall glass with a little umbrella in front of lucy and a large brown mug in front of Rogue.

"Thank you... uh..."

"Names Orga. So you're Master Stings new sensei huh? How's that workin out for ya?"

Lucy giggled at Orgas outburst and decided to defend the childish Master.

"He's not as bad as everyone makes him out to be. To be completely honest I think the reason everyone had such a hard time with him is because, I think, he has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder."

Both Orga and Rogue turned to her with serious expressions at the mention of a disorder.

"What's that?" Orga asked.

"Its technically a learning disorder. Basically he has physical issues with paying attention and controlling his impulses. It's not very common in adults, it's usually young children and teens who have it. It's nothing bad, it simply meant he needed to be taught in a diffrent way."

"And what way might that be Lucy?" Rogue seemed concerned and Lucy wanted to make sure they knew it was not a big deal as long as someone could be patient with him and help him learn in a way he understood.

"Well since sitting still doesn't work for him we do a lot of moving around. I make a lot of it into a game of sorts or a competition. We make small bets too. It keeps him interested and determined to do it right so he can 'win'. It's actually a pretty fun way of teaching."

Orga burst out laughing and Rogue visibly relaxed at her explanation. It seemed both men got the point Lucy was trying to make. Their Master wasn't stupid, he just learned differently than they did.

"Huh. Who would be thought he really couldn't learn and wasn't just being lazy after all." Orga laughed.

"I will commit this to my memory for future use."

Lucy nearly had an anxiety attack because she didn't notice Rufus sneak up on them. Rogue, sensing Lucy's sudden panic growls in the masked man's direction causing both Rufus and Orga to raise a brow. He grabbed Lucy's hand and squeezed it gently, feeling the tension leave her body at the simple act.

"Lady Lucy. My apologies for startling you, I didn't realize you were under the protection of a dragon. It's a pleasure to finally be introduced properly. My name is Rufus Lore."

Lucy wasn't too sure about how she felt about the man standing before her. He was dressed like a musketeer and hid his face behind a mask. He seemed... sketchy, at best. But she knew she was the guest of honor and it would be rude to ignore him. So she timidly held out her hand to him.

"Erm... hi Rufus. Its nice to meet you."

"You don't have to lie to that idiot"

Panic filled every inch of her being when Lucy heard that all too familiar voice. Acting on instinct, she clung to the closest thing to her. Turned out that thing was a concerned Rogue Cheney. Knowing just how unnerved she was, he pulled her close and whispered in her ear.

"It's ok Lucy. I won't let anything happen to you."

Minerva walked up to the bar and took a seat next to Rufus. Lucy noticed how diffrent the Chinese woman looked from the last time she saw her. She no longer wore makeup, making her features seem softer and more inviting. Her clothes had changed too. Instead of the crazy looking blue dress with boa scarf she instead wore a pastel green long sleeved floor length dress. The style was very much like Juvias dress except it was green and white instead of blue.

She called Orga over and ordered two cherry vodka sours. She downed the first one within seconds of recieving it. She then stirred the straw in her second drink and took a deep breath before turning to her former enemy.

"Lucy-dono. I would like to speak with you... alone, if thats ok."

Before Lucy has a chance to answer, Rogue once again comes to her rescue. He knows all too well that Lucy would give Minerva a chance that, in his opinion, she didn't deserve. He was determined to protect lucy from any more pain. Even if it was from his own guild mates.

"You can speak with her outside but I will be attending as well."

He shot Minerva a look that said don't question me which seemed to work. She simply bowed in respect before accepting Rogues terms.

"Understood."

Hand in hand, Rogue led Lucy out the back door of the guild with a sullen Minerva following closely behind. Together, the trio made their way to the guilds garden on the south ground. Giving Lucy's hand a reassuring squeeze, Rogue looked Minerva in the eyes with a glare that could frighten Zerif himself.

"Speak Minerva." Rogue says venomously.

The raven haired woman squeaked in fright at the sight of a pissed off dragon slayer. She turns to the still nervous celestial mage and drops to her knees. Lowering her head to the ground in a deep bow Minerva begins to sob at Lucy's feet.

"Lucy-dono I'm so sorry for what I did to you during the grand magic games. I wasn't in my right mind my father..."

Rogue interrupted her by grabbing her collar and forcing her to stand. She was being pathetic, blaming her father for her sadism and it pissed him off. "Your excuses aren't needed."

Lucy walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder while shaking her head. Seeing Lucy being so emotionally strong filled him with pride and he decided to step back and let her take the lead.

"I want to know why Minerva." Lucy was doing everything in her power to keep her voice from shaking. Obviously this woman wasn't the same one that tortured her on live lacrima. Lucy wanted to know what could have possessed the woman to act the way she had in the past.

"What did your father do to you to make you that way? How can I trust you're diffrent now?"

The two women took a seat on a stone bench while Rouge took up a guard position a few feet away. It took a moment for her to start talking, but once she did, the words wouldn't stop pouring out.

"It all started when my mother Milenda was killed. My father was an S class mage in a guild called Phantom Lore. My mother was not S class but would sometimes occompany my father on missions. It was on one of those missions that she was killed. My father blamed her for not being strong enough to take out the mage she was fighting. He said that if she wasn't weak then she would have lived. I was four at the time of her passing and had just started showing potential for spacial magic..."

_Flashback...__"Quit your crying and get up!" A loud whipping sound could be heard as a leather strap was slammed into the young raven haired girls back. It was her eighth birthday and her "gift" was an extra long training session with her father.__What should have been a day filled with laughter, happiness, and cake, quickly turned into a nightmare. For four hours Jemina Orland had used his magic to attack his daughter to 'build her defenses'.__She wasn't allowed to attack back or dodge. She was only allowed to block or take the hit head on. Her once bright pink dress was now in taters, covered in blood and dirt. Her hair, which was in adorable braided pig tails was now burnt and one side was cut completely off down to the hair tie.__She was trying to get up while her father kept whipping her but she simply couldn't do it. When she went limp, Jimina grew furious. Minerva found herself wishing he was only whipping her when she felt the rest of her dress being torn off.__ Punnishment was always worse than training.__It's a cold and snowy December night. Twelve year old Minerva Orland finds herself walking down an unmarked path alone and afraid. She wears nothing but magic canceling bracelets while she carries a small stick for protection. She's been wandering for hours, trying to find her way home.__This was her punnishment for not winning a spar against her father.__The sound of rain was the only thing she could hear as she stood alone in front of a freshly covered grave. Tears flood her eyes as she reads the words...__"Here lies Lando Neuro. S class mage of Blue Pegasas. Lover, brother, and friend, you will be missed."__A cry of anguish escapes her lips as she falls to the ground. She knows it's her fault. He's dead because he dared to love her as much as she loved him. Love made a person weak, and weakness was something Jimina didn't allow.__Taking him away from her was her punishment.__"It's my fault."__It was that day when seventeen year old Minerva made a vow. She would never be weak again. She would surpass Jimina in strength and defeat him. But until then, she would have to close her heart off. If she didn't then others would be in danger. If she didn't care about anyone, Jimina wouldn't hurt them.__She may have to step in and beat people in place of her father on occasion. She wouldnt like it... but she would be able to beat them enough to satisfy Jimina without killing him. Where as he would just kill them for fun. Maybe if she pretended each person was Jimina it would make it easier.__"I won't let him break me my love."__The week before the annual GMG, Minerva finds herself bloodied and bruised. Jimina stands over her limp body and grunts in disappointment.__"Still pathetic as ever. You better not disappoint me during the games. If you do, not only will you be stripped of your clothes, you will be stripped of your guild mark, beaten, and finally... I'll take your magic from you. You WILL win or you WILL be punished. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"__"Y-yes... father."_

Lucy's eyes were filled with tears. She knew Jimina was a horrible man but she never realized just how bad Minerva had it. She empathized with her, having grown up with an abusive father herself.

Sometime during Minervas story, Rogue had melted into the shadows and left the women alone. He sensed it wasn't a story she would want him to hear and he knew Lucy would be ok. Minerva was secretly thankful for this because she too had tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"When the Grand Magic Games came around my father told me-"

Before she could say anything else, Lucy tackled her in a tight hug. The blond wanted her to know that she was forgiven. That she didnt need to relive those awful memories.

"You don't have to say anything else, I forgive you Minerva!"

"Lu...cy?"

Disbelief was all over Minervas face. How could this girl forgive her so easily? How could she hug her after the pain she put her through? She didn't deserve her forgiveness. In that moment Minerva decided Lucy was indeed a special person who needed to be protected no matter the cost.

Fairy or Saber, Lucy was the light that shined in the darkness. She was the embodiment of love and acceptance. She was forgiveness and hope. She was stronger than Minerva could ever hope to be. She would spend the rest of her life trying to make up for the pain she caused.

"Lets start over brand new? Hi, I'm Lucy, mage of Fairy Tail, let's be friends!"

"Lucy..."

**XxX**


	12. Drunken Games

Word count:

3,311

First off, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my wattpad follower

paul_shinji

Your continued support means a lot and I always look forward to your comments. Thank you for reading this story and I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Next, I'd like to invite you (my readers) to submit an OC to be used in this story. It will be a small character such as... A villain from a mission, a person who submitted a job request, a random shop keeper or waitress, etc. Anyway if you'd like to submit one just comment with the following info...

1\. Name

2\. Age

3\. Looks like

4\. Is or is not a mage

5\. Type of magic

6\. What you see them as (bandit or bad guy from a mission, someone they meet or someone who requests help, etc)

As always this chapter was beta read and edited by the wonderful

celestialprincess26

DONT FORGET TO VOTE FOR ROLU DATE

Now, onto the story...

XxX

Chaotic was the only word Lucy could think of to describe the scene in front of her. It was nearing midnight and Orga was singing ,much like Gajeel, on the stage at the head of the guild hall.

Half of the Saber mages were scrambling to get out of the doors, while the other half had already passed out on the floor. They'd hit their limit during the drinking contest that had just finished.

Lucy giggled while Sting and Rogue tried -and failed- to save their ears from bleeding.

Thankfully, Minerva used her magic to shut the singing man up and sent him back to the bar to

make her another electric lemonade.

"I'm bored." Yukino suddenly blurted out. Nodding in agreement, Lucy tried to think ofsomething to do. It was getting late but she wasn't tired. In fact, she was having a great time and didn't want it to end.

If someone would have told her a few months ago that she would be drinking and having fun with Sabertooth while living with the shadow dragon slayer and

tutoring the guilds' master...

Well, she would have told you that you were insane. But here she was.

Laughing with Minerva, teasing Yukino, and holding hands with Rogue Cheney. The mighty Orga was acting like a dork and the proper Rufus was behaving like a child.. The great Sting Eucliffe was her pupil and two new exceeds that didn't torment her, were relaxing on her lap.

Life had a funny way of turning out but she was glad for it.

"Want a fish?" Lector was the first to offer Yukino a response. Everyone sweatdropped at his question but Yukino just giggled before answering him.

"Not really."

"We could spar." Sting blurted out. He jumped up into a sloppy fighting stance before losing his balance and falling over. "Damn booze!"

"I think not." Rufus whined from the corner.

"We could sing karaoke!" Orga announced from the bar. He immediately took cover as a plethora of half empty bottles and shoes came flying at his head. Apparently everyone was in agreement as they all screamed in unison.

"NO!"

"Lets play a game" Minerva's evil chuckle could be heard as she clasped her hands together.

Rogue paled when he heard Lucy naively reply "That sounds fun."

"Oh gods anything but that!" Sting cried. Orga gulped and began searching for the strongest booze he could find while Yukino sighed in defeat.

"Shut up! Lucy wants to play and it's her party so we're playing. Now sit!" Minerva became surrounded by a dark aura causing everyone to yelp and sit in a circle at the table.

"If memory serves me correctly Lady Lucy, you should prepare for a massive hangover tomorrow." Rufus warned.

"Uh..." Lucy was starting to regret saying yes. She could feel panic begin to creep on her but like always, Rogue was there holding her hand and saying exactly what she needed to hear.

"Just tell me when it gets to be too much and I'll take you home."

"Lets start with Never Have I Ever!" Minerva yelled a little more enthusiastically then necessary. At least it was a fairly simple game to start with.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Lucy decided.

"Just wait." Lector warned. He knew from experience that Minerva was an evil she-bitch when it came to drinking games. Lucy ignored him and watched Minerva take an empty sake bottle and

place it in the middle of the table before she started to explain the rules.

"So for this game we'll spin the bottle. Whoever it lands on issues the question. If you HAVE done the question you must drink! I'll ask the first question and then I'll spin!"

She began setting out shot glasses and lucy was appalled to see Minerva set shot glasses for Lector and Frosch as well.

"Minerva, the exceeds won't be drinking. Orga will you make them fish smoothies while you're getting the whisky?"

"Sure thing princess!" Orga shouted from behind the bar.

"Alright... Let's start!" Minerva exclaimed. She put her hand on her chin and took a moment to think before coming up with an easy one. "Hmmm ok, never have I ever... Given up on a mission."

Rufus, Orga, and Lucy look down before taking a huge shot of fire whisky. Somber looks crossed their faces and Orga decided he would tell them what the one mission he regretted ever taking was.

"We were facing a dark guild and their leader used blood magic."

"If my memory is correct, we barely made it with our lives." Rufus cut in.

"I remember that mission. It took an entire year and help from Fairy Tail to take them down." Sting said.

Everyone looked to Lucy, expecting some sort of explanation, but she only looked down and whispered "I don't wanna talk about it."

Minerva looked at her and noticed how upset she looked so she grabbed the empty sake bottle and spun. After a second or two it landed on Rogue. He thinks about a few diffrent things. He

wanted to embarrass his guild mates but he also wanted to use the game as a way to ask Lucy certain questions indirectly. After a moment of internal debate he said screw it and blurted out his question.

"Alright! Never have I ever had a one night stand!"

Minerva, Rufus, Orga, and Sting smirked at each other before picking up their glasses and taking a shot. While Yukino looked uncomfortable with the fact that only she and Lucy seemed to have any decency, Lucy couldn't help notice a certain dragon slayer hadn't drank either.

Rogue could feel Lucy's eyes. She was studying him and for some unknown reason, he really enjoyed being the object of her scrutiny. Inwardly sighing in relief, he spun the bottle to start the next round, when it landed on Orga... Rogue silently thanks the gods that he got the answer

he was looking for.

"Never have I ever been to Alvarez."

Suprising everyone, Lucy picked up her shot glass and drank. She giggled at their confused faces and promised to tell them the story one day. Feeling her anxiety rising, Rogue squeezes her hand under the table. She smiles at him and squeezes back before glancing at the bottle which was already spinning... It lands on Yukino who almost jumps at the chance to ask a question.

"Never have I ever wore a dress!"

Sting drinks quickly, hoping no one would notice. Unfortunately for him everyone saw and started laughing at him. His face red in embarrassment, he stumbled over his words trying to defend himself from their jokes.

"It was a bet!"

Yukino just keeps laughing while she spins. The problem with her question, as innocent as it was, now the game became more everyone versus the seemingly virginal celestial sisters.

"Never have I ever performed oral sex on someone." Rufus yelled.

Everyone in the room was surprised. They expected Lucy and Yukino not to drink but they didn't expect Rogue's cup to stay full as well. It seemed the mysterious slayer had more secrets than anyone expected. Sting didn't miss the glint in his tutors eye looking at his brother, and he finally came up with an idea on how to get Lucy to stay permenantly.

"It can't be..." Minerva whispered in amazement.

Rufus quickly spins and it lands on Orga who again asks a way too personal question.

"Never have I ever had sex with someone!"

XxX

An hour later everyone was trashed and had run out of questions. They had found out a lot about each other and although drunk, the group felt closer than ever before. Deciding the game was getting boring, a new game began.

"Enough of this! We're gonna play Kings Cup!" Minerva demanded in her usual bossy voice.

"Oh no..." Lucy whined under her breath. If her past experiences playing this game with Erza taught her anything it was that Kings Cup was a very dangerous game.

"Here's the rules! Everyone draws a stick. The cats are playing too! Your stick will have a number on it or a crown. Whoever gets the crown is the king and they can issue one order to any numbered stick. You can NOT refuse an order or you will have to down an entire bottle of sake!"

"Why did it have to be this game?!" Yukino cried. She was barely able to keep her eyes open and everyone knew she'd be the first to tap out.

"Everyone be quiet and draw a stick!" Minerva shouted. Hoping to avoid an angry drunk, the six mages drew sticks and groaned when they realized none of them got the crown.

"Lets start this up right! Number nine STRIP!" Everyone laughs as Lector stands up and takes off his vest. In the corner Minerva's evil grin was replaced by a depressing aura. She deadpanned before falling over and mumbling to herself about being a failure.

Ignoring her antics, everyone draws sticks again and sigh when Sting stands up and issues an order.

"Numbers three and seven must kiss on the lips."

A very nervous Yukino stands up and Sting begins to growl. His plan was backfiring quickly much to his displeasure. After a moment, Lucy starts giggling and stands up too causing all the men's eyes in the room eyes to grow wide.

"Perverts." Lucy jokes after she and Yukino break apart. They put the sticks back in the cup and drew again. Orga drew the crown and came up with a simple order.

"Number four must slap number one in the face."

Crying could suddenly be heard as Frosch slowly stood up. When Lucy stood up as well the poor exceed became hysteric. Rogue started to get angry because obviously he didn't want his foster child crying. But when Lucy started talking to Fro everyone's heart melted, and he felt like he wanted to cry. No one had ever treated Frosch the way Lucy did. So tender and caring, almost motherly. It stirred up feelings inside of him that he wasn't ready to address yet, maybe after a few more drinks...

"Its ok Fro. Do it and I'll give you a bag of Swedish Fish to share with Lector."

Reluctantly, the green kitten raised its pink covered paw and lightly tapped the blonde's face. When Lucy didn't cry in pain, relief washed over Frosch. Lucy gave him the bag of gummies as

promised and laughed at everyone's faces.

The next draw Minerva gets the crown again much to everyone's dismay. The group began to suspect foul play when Minerva wound up with the crown for the next few turns.

"Number two must strip naked!"

"What the hell is it with you and stripping?!" Sting complains as he begins to get naked. Yukino gives up and passes out from being drunk and Rufus seems a little too excited at what's going on.

"One must spank eights ass!"

Poor Rogue looks beyond furious when he walks over to his brother and slaps his bare rear.

"Numbers seven and three must fondle Lucy and Yukino!"

"What the actual fuck!" Sting and Rogue shout in unison. They were ready to attack when they saw their exceeds flying toward the girls. A sigh of relief is shared between everyone in the room when Frosch and Lector fly into their chests and cuddle up.

"I'm about done with this shit." Rogue mumbles.

Rogue gets the crown on the next draw. He saw an opportunity when he happened to peak at Lucy's number. He decided to use this advantage to learn something about Lucy that he desperately wanted to know.

"Number two must confess their greatest fear."

He could sense her panic and held her hand. She smiled half heartedly at him before looking at her feet. "To be honest, I'm not sure."

Although she wouldn't look him in the eyes, Lucy didn't let go of his hand. In fact she began to squeeze back. She continued her answer although it sounded more like rambling in everyone's

eyes.

"I'm afraid of not being strong enough to take care of the people I love. I'm afraid of losing them because they were too busy trying to protect me to keep themselves safe. I'm afraid of losing

anyone else, I... I'm afraid of being alone I guess. I'm afraid of everyone leaving me."

"I had No idea..." Minerva whispered more to herself than anyone else. The entire mood had gone down and no one quite knew what to say. Thankfully Sting, being his goofy self, blurted out something that brightened everyone's spirits.

"You'll never be alone because ya got us Blondie! And we're never gonna leave you alone!"

"He's right you know, you're the only one patient enough to keep our idiot master in check." Minerva joked as she took another shot of sake.

"Hey im not an idiot!"

"You're not exactly the brightest crayon in the box you know." Orga threw in.

"I don't gotta be 'cause Lucy-chan is here!"

"Indeed. She's certainly bright enough for not only Sting, but the entire guild." Rogue said with a soft look in his eyes. This didn't go unnoticed by his fellow guild mates who were all thinking the same thing... They needed to help Rogue win Lucy's heart so she could stay at Sabertooth forever!

After a good laugh, everyone drew for what would wind up being the last time. Unfortunately for the twin dragon slayers of Sabertooth, Minerva somehow got the crown ... again.

"Seven and four must kiss on the lips!"

Humiliation rolled in waves from the two men's bodies as they stood and faced each other. After the most disturbing moment of their lives, Sting decided to put his foot down.

Obviously everyone was too drunk or this would have never happened. "That's it! As master of this guild I'm calling it a night!!! Go home."

As he begins to put his clothes back on, everyone has one last good laugh before getting up to leave. Minerva and Orga must have felt bad because they offered to stay behind to clean up and take care of passed out guild members.

Sting finally finished getti g dressed and was about to leave when he noticed Yukino was passed out as well. He knew she would be safe at the guild, but he didn't feel right leaving her there like that. So instead, he picked her up bridal style and called out to his shadowy counterpart.

"I'm gonna take Yukino back to her place. Lector and Fro headed up to the dorms earlier too."

Nodding in his brothers direction, Rogue turned and prepared to walk Lucy back home only to see her struggling to stand. She must have been more drunk than he thought. It was obvious to him that she wouldn't be able to walk in her drunken state, so he silently strode to her

side and scooped her up in his arms.

"You know Lucy, you don't have to be afraid of being weak."

He had waited a few minutes before stating his thoughts. He knew he sounded brash but it was just his nature. When Lucy was sober, she was the only other person than his brother to understand him. He could only hope she was as understanding inebriated.

"Its not that I'm afraid of being weak... It's that I am weak!"

Hearing her say that sent a shot of pain through his heart. How could she say that?!

"No you're not. Magically, you're reserves are well above average... Even on scale with us dragon slayers. If you are worried about fighting physically, then there are plenty of people in Sabertooth who would be willing to train you."

"I wanna learn to use a kata~na..." She whined.

"I can teach you."

"Re~ally??"

He wished Lucy could see just how amazing she was. How much everyone she meets loves her. He meant it when he said plenty of people would train her. During the party over a dozen people offered actually. She had her pick of magic to learn. And he'd be more than glad to teach her combat and weapons use.

"Yes. But only if you swear to never call yourself weak again."

Her sing song voice was so childish and extremely cute. It was making him loose his focus and he wound up missing a turn, making their walk longer than necessary... not that he minded.

"But I am we-..."

"You are forbidden from completing that sentence in my presence." He didn't mean to glare at her but her words infuriated him. She couldn't see how strong she was and it hurt him.

"Waaaaaa I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you mad! Please don't hate me!"

Hearing her say that sent a new wave of worry through his mind. Hate her? She must have lost her mind.

"I'm not mad Lucy." Her eyes got big and her crocodile tears vanished. A look of wonder crossed her face as he hugged her closer to his body. She buried her head into his chest and inhaled deeply, his scent calming her nerves enough for her to speak.

"You... you're not?"

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he looked down at her and spoke softly.

"No. And I could never hate you."

"You say that now. But you'll leave me. Just like everyone else. Just like him."

Pain and anger filled his heart at her words. He knew she was talking about Natsu. He knew how much she had lost in such a short time and how it weighed on her. He wanted to show her that she would never be alone again. Not with him around.

"Lucy... I'll never leave you." Knowing she was too drunk to remember this conversation in the morning, Rogue decided to tell her something he would've never dreamed of saying if she was sober.

"From now until the day I die, I swear I'll never leave. And remember... a dragon never breaks their promises."

"Mmm my dragon." She whispered. She closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him. She hadn't felt so safe in a very long time and she wanted to enjoy the comfort of Rogue's embrace. Inhaling his strong coffee scent she hummed softly as she finally let sleep take her over.

Rogue, on the other hand, was blushing a bright crimson red. She called me her dragon. Was the only thing he could think. If she only knew how happy it made him to hear that.

When Lucy claimed him aloud, pride filled his entire being and he thanked the gods for bringing this golden haired angel into his life. He swore right then and there that he would never let her go.

"That's right, I'm yours. I'll never hurt you the way he did. I'll never leave you alone. I promise."


	13. Guild Marks

Word count: 2,110

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 13! So there's been a small time skip. It's the end of October, Lucy's birthday is in a few days and Halloween is in 10 days. (Remember this... It's important lol)**

**This chapter is a bit shorter. I'm still debating on which format I like better... Actually, which do yall like better?**

**Longer chapters (5-7k words)**

**Shorter chapters (2-3k words)**

**Let me know in the comments.**

**This is going to be the beginning of the first story arc... Well call it the Childhood Arc. I hope y'all enjoy!**

**I used a one shot request to create this story arc which will stretch the next few chapters!!!**

**As always, this chapter was Beta read and edited by celestialprincess26 from FFN!mention a user**

**Now, onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

**Back in Magnolia**

Things at the Fairy Tail guild hall hadn't been quite as normal as one might think. It had been almost a month since Lucy quit Team Natsu and left the guild.

When the master broke the news that Lucy had given up her place for Lisanna, the team was filled with mixed feelings. Gray was pissed because he knew his 'sister' had been dealing with depression and worried about her making this decision alone.

Erza was proud of Lucy for putting the feelings of others above her own. She also thought her wanting to become stronger was a good goal and applauded her efforts. She thought Lucy knew exactly what she was doing so she wasn't worried in the slightest.

Happy, contrary to his name, was sad. He loved Lucy like a mother and wasn't sure how he felt about Lisanna replacing her. Sure Lisanna technically was around first, but they never shared the bond he and the blonde did.

Lucy had, on more than one occasion, put her own life in danger to keep not only him but Natsu safe. He thought it was extremely unfair that after everything, his dad would just let her

go so easily.

Natsu was excited and nervous. He didn't once think about how Lucy felt leaving. All he could think about was how he would have the chance to get closer to his long lost companion. Over the years he had never forgotten her. Lucy was a good friend and he truly cared for her, but she could never make him feel the things his silver haired maiden could.

The takeover mage herself however, was filled with guilt and confusion. Sure she loved Natsu but she also knew how much Lucy loved him. She knew what the two had been through and wondered if it was fair that she returned out of nowhere and took Natsu away.

Though the five were dealing with their heavy emotions, they continued their day to day lives. Taking, and botching, multple missions a week and causing havoc throughout the guild. But today was different.

Today the master had gathered everyone to tell them about a notice he received from the magic Council. Apparently, a Demon called Bane who utilized curses and bane particles to strip enemies of their magic and torture them to death was running amuck near Magnolia.

This demon was called from the book of Zerif by a dark guild named Elvish Fang. This guild was filled with dark mages who practiced the use of curses. There were mercenaries among the members and the Magic Council had advised all guilds in the area to be on high alert.

In an attempt to keep his children safe, Makarov deemed all missions for any mage under S class be placed on hiatus until Bane was caught. They would plan an assault on Elvish fang and destroy the threat before it could spread.

For now, the issue was localized to a Magnolia and a few surrounding cities. If they could keep it from heading east, none of the other guilds would have to get involved. Including Sabertooth.

**XxX**

It was a chilly day at the end of October. It had been over a month since Lucy had temporarily joined Sabertooth and today she would be heading out on her first mission as a Tiger. But the morning hadnt gone as smoothly as planned when she learned she would have to receive a

Sabertooth guild mark. To say it was difficult would be the understatement of the century.

_Flashback...__"But... I'm only here for a year! I haven't actually joined your guild!"__Poor Lucy. All she wanted to do was go on a mission with Rogue and Frosch. She wanted to get to know them better and possibly get some training in. The morning had been pleasant to say the least. She had woken up extra early and gone for a jog with Plue and Loke before taking a very long extra hot bath.__After she got out, she found a gift box on her bed containing a beautiful black and violet kimono and cape that looked like the female version of Rogue's outfit. Loving it, she quickly got dressed for the day and left her room; only to find Frosch watching his froggie cartoons and Rogue with. an offering of coffee, bagels, yogurt, and fruit.__She brought up the idea of going on a mission and was pumped to hear both of her roommates agree immediately. So when she got to the guild she never expected Sting to ruin her good mood with a ridiculous request. Now she understood why everyone was so easily annoyed with his presence.__"Lucy, calm downnnn it's just-"__"I will not calm down Sting! You're asking me to remove my guild mark! MY GUILD MARK!!"__"Yes I get that but-"__"and not only do you want me to erase my Fairy Tail mark, but you want me to replace it... WITH YOURS?! What is WRONG with you?!"__Sting was cowering behind his brother. He learned early on what a pissed off Lucy was capable of. He'd be damned if he would be the focus of her frustration any time again in the near future.__He knew she wouldn't attack his silent twin because he knew she respected him more than himself... Much to his own personal annoyance, but that was an argument for another day. For now, Sting needed to convince Lucy to listen to reason.__"Lucy, it's the rules. When you join a guild exchange program, you are temporarily leaving your guild to join another. Didn't you know that?"__"No I didnt! I was only told I would be responsible for you!"__Fearing for the safety of her on again off again lover, Yukino walked up to her celestial sister and held her hand before trying to calm her down.__"Lucy, In order to be in the program, you have to do at least one mission a month. And to do Sabertooth missions, you have to have our guilds' mark. This should have been explained to you before you came."__"Well I wasn't told!"__Though her voice wasn't as loud, anyone with eyes would be able to tell Lucy was furious. Everyone in the room was starting to get worried until Rouge grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his chest.__She instantly melted into his embrace, feeling safe in his arms. She knew he wouldn't let Sting force her to do anything she didnt want to. Rogue was smart, he always had the answers she needed. Maybe he could find a way for her to keep her guild mark and still go on the mission.__"Lucy, it's ok. Sting will not force you into this, I won't allow it. But we do have to abide by the rules weather we like them or not."__His heart shattered when Lucy picked up her face to look at him. Big brown eyes filled with tears met shocked crimson. She looked so scared and he hated it.__"Please don't make me do this, I ..."__" What if instead of removing your insignia, we simply make it invisible. It'll still be there, just hidden."__"We can't do that Rogue, it's against the rules."__Sting quickly shut his mouth and recoiled at the death glare his twin was sending him. Apparently Rogue wasn't going to hear anything he had to say because his aura turned beyond defensive. Sting knew Rogue had a thing for Blondie, but he didn't realize it was that intense until that very moment and he decided to be quiet and save himself a bigger fight than was necessary.__"Actually it's not. The rules simply state that a mages original guild mark can't be visable and the temporary mark must be visable."__Yukino walked up to Lucy and began rubbing firm but soothing circles on her back. She knew how hard it was to be told to remove your guild mark. She could understand the pain she was feeling, but unlike when Yukino was forced to strip hers away, this was under diffrent circumstances. Hopefully her sister would be able to see that.__"See Lucy it's ok."__Lucy was shaking with tears. Her face was once again burried in Rogue's chest, not that he minded, and she was using his scent to calm herself like she had come to do so many times in the last few weeks. It seemed he was the only thing that could calm her anxiety and panic.__"I... I guess that would be ok."_

**XxX**

Her right hand was now bare and her left hand was adorned with a black Sabertooth insignia. She was silently thanking Rogue for simply hiding her guild mark instead of removing it. If she was being completely honest, if they would have kept pushing her to remove it, she may have given up and gone back to Magnolia.

After the mornings fiasco, she was glad she Frosch and Rogue had gone alone on this mission. It was an A class mission in a small village called Ivy. It seemed most of the local farmers along with their children had been going missing for months and the town was in danger of disappearing all together.

They were waiting at the train station since the village was a few days walk away. Thanks to modern transportation, they would be there in six hours. Unfortunately for Rogue, six hours on a train was the same as a death sentence.

When they heard the loud whistling of the oncoming locomotive, they gathered their bags and headed inside.

**XxX**

"Rogue, are you ok?"

"Fine."

"I don't believe that, your face is green!"

"Fro thinks so too!"

"Ugh."

"Come here."

Pulling a reluctant Rogue closer towards her wasn't as hard as it sounded. He, like all other dragon slayers, couldnt put up much of a fight when dealing with his motion sickness. Luckily for him, Lucy, having come from a guild with four of them, knew a few tricks to help during a train ride.

She gently pulled him down until his head was in her lap. Amused by the faint blush on his cheeks, she began running her hands through his thick ebony hair. Rogue felt like he was in

heaven.

The feel of her fingers massaging his scalp forced an involuntary growl to escape his lips. He turned on his side, burying his face in her stomach and pulled her close like a teddy bear.

Humming in delight, he soon found his eyes growing heavy and her sweet ginger and coconut scent lulled him into a comfortable sleep.

Lucy on the other hand wasn't as content. Though his growl now sounded more like a soft purr... She couldn't help but think of the last time she heard him growl directly at her. Except it wasn't this Rogue, but his future self...

_Flashback...__Lucy blinked her eyes slowly open. Her head was throbbing and she could feel a sticky warm wetness running down her neck. Her shoulders and wrists screamed in pain. Panic overtook her when she tried to move, only to realize she was chained.__She was hanging from the ceiling with her feet dangling about two feet above the floor. Her breath caught in her throat when she heard an unfamiliar voice say, "ah Fairy-san, you're finally awake. Good."__"W-whos there? Show yourself!" Lucy cried out into the darkness. Her voice echoing off the cave walls surrounding her, she started feeling claustrophobic as she became more aware of her surroundings.__Scarlet eyes pierced through the darkness as an evil laugh echoed through the cave. Lucy struggled to break free from the chains causing the man in front of her to laugh even harder.__"I don't think I've properly introduced myself. My name is Rogue."_

"No! That was different . That wasn't him. This Rogue would never hurt me and I need to remember that."

Subconsciously running her hand over her left breast, she began to struggle with breathing. Tears threatened to fall when she felt the tingling sensation of the dark magic forced into her. A hidden patch of

onyx scales burned her chest so much that even her heart ached.

"No... this Rogue would never do something like that." Commanding herself to forget the memories, Lucy focused on the scenery outside of her window.

Watching the hills and trees

pass by at over 100mph eventually took its toll, and Lucy found herself falling asleep with her hand still tangled in Rogue's hair.

**XxX**

**I'd love to see more comments so dont forget to let me know ypur theories for what might happen, OC submissions for future missions, job or one shot side requests, for me to include. Looking forward to hearing from you guys!!!**


	14. Mission Day One

Word count: 1472

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 14! I'm so happy... I've gotten quite a few reviews over various platforms for this story... and they're all posotive!!! Y'all dont know how happy that makes me. Anyway.. I wasn't sure how I felt about this chapter but my beta reader liked it! Who as always was the lovely celestialprincess26 from FFN!**

**Don't forget to vote for ROLU date night, submit your side or mission requests, and OC submissions!!!**

**Now, onto the story...**

**XxX**

_The sky was painted pink and red as the sun began to set over the hills of the village of Ivy. Hikari and Shinji had recently tied the knot and were still very much in their honeymoon stage.__They were packing up the remains of a romantic picnic when the rustling of leaves on a windless evening alerted them to someone in their presence.__Through the trees appeared a woman dressed in solid red with long wild brunette hair. Her eyes glowed emerald and her skin was ivory white. A wicked laugh escaped her lips as she__levitated towards them.__"Ah, what wonderful specimens. You two will make perfect additions to my workforce."__"What are you talking about you crazy woman?!" Shinji jumped in front of his young bride. He could feel the magic energy radiating off the woman and knew she was a serious threat. When he noticed the guild mark on her stomach, his face paled and he prepared to use his own magic, determined to protect the woman he loved.__"I may be many things, but I assure you crazy isn't one of them." Raising her arms, she began to chant something in an unknown language. Smoke of violet began surrounding her and her eyes changed to a bright pink color.__Whatever this attack was, it was going to be destructive. Not waiting for her attack, Shinji lunged forward with a spell of his own. As ice released from his hands, a dark purple aura surrounded both him and the woman and Shinji cluld be heard screaming.__"Hikari... Run!"__Fear engulfed her entire being. She had never heard Shinji sound that way. In all their years traveling she had never once heard him sound afraid.__Reluctantly she ran deep in the woods__only turning back once. What she saw would haunt her for the rest of her days... her seemingly invincible husband, had been transformed into a helpless child and had been chained like a dog. With tears in her eyes she made her way back to the village elders home to seek help._

\--

"That was two months ago, and I haven't seen him since." Hikari looked down at her slightly swollen stomach with tears running down her cheeks as she told her tale of sorrow.

The bluenette of twenty five had recently discovered she was carrying her missing husband's child, and the stress of his disappearance was begining to take its toll.

Rogue could see how much the woman was hurting, anyone could. Lucy seemed to be taking it just as hard, her own tears matching the woman's.

**XxX**

They were sitting in the very same spot where Hikari's story took place so Rogue had sent his shadows to search the area for traces of dark magic.

When the two arrived in the village they had been surprised to find there was only a handful of people left. Most of them were children, the elderly, and the ill. After speaking with the village elders, the two Sabertooth mages had set out on an investigation.

They had been given a list of names and addresses of the families of people who had gone missing. So far, they had spoken to four pregnant wives, ten elderly people, and a dozen children under ten. It was obvious this woman was targeting young healthy men and teenagers, but for what, they weren't sure.

After searching for nearly three hours, the sun had begun to set and Rogue recalled his shadows so they could head back to the inn that they would be renting for the duration of their trip.

On the way back, they were talking about theories on what was going on when they overheard a group of men talking near a campfire.

Lucy quickly grabbed Rogue's hand and pulled him, very ungracefully, into a nearby berry bush. Shushing him teasingly, she hoped he wouldn't get angry. Shooting her a playful glare and a smirk, Rogue pulled Lucy closer to him and sent his shadows towards the men.

His mocking "shhh" was all she heard before suddenly the sound of three men's voices began to boom directly in her ears as if she were wearing earphones. Apparently it was a perk of Rogues shadow magic.

_

"I heard there was ether crystals in the caves not doing at far from here." A skinny man began picking at his tooth with a dagger. His hair was disheveled and his clothes torn. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days and had the look of a someone who would kill for something to feast on.

"Yea but Elvish Gang already claimed those mines." A tiny man the size of a toddler spoke. He had spiky graying hair and of the three looked the cleanest. His white cloak held no traces of dirt while his black boots shined in the dying light of the day.

"There's no way! From what I heard those caves are too small for a grown man to fit through." The skinny man threw his dagger to the ground and jumped up in a huff. "There's just no fuckin way!"

"I 'eard 'ere's a group of 'em hunting 'ildren to use to mine the caves." A crazed looking man said in a strange accent. He was dressed in a yellow plaid shirt, brown burlap pants, suspenders and brown boots. He looked very much like a lumberjack with his burly beard and calloused hands.

"Eh... Not a bad idea. Maybe we should join the hunt and get some money off of em." The tiny man pulled out a stick of meat and tossed it to the ground. The skinny man dove for it and began to devour the cooked flesh like a starved animal.

"I 'eard they 'ire men to 'ind workers at the Bats Wing Pub over down the eastern road." The lumberjack was looking through his bag and pulled out a bag of dried meat and calmly handed it to the hungry man on the ground.

_

"Did you hear that Lucy?" The men's rough voices faded and Rogue's smooth one took over as his shadows retracted themselves.

She could feel his hand ghosting over her waist and she wanted nothing more than for him to wrap them in his magic and take them far away.

Was it a side affect of him using his

magic on her on a regular basis? Or was it because of the dreams? "Y-yea, let's g-go."

Squeeking in surprise, his hands finally made contact with her side's and Rogue allowed his shadows to surround them both in a cocoon of darkness. In an instant, they were out of the woods and on a dirt path outside of their Inn.

**XxX**

"So what are you thinking Rogue?"

Rogue's breath caught in his throat when he looked up from his notes. Lucy had just stepped out of the shower and was clad in a pair of black yoga pants and a black and violet galaxy print tank top. Her hair was loose and flowing and he swore he could see the outline of scales

peaking from underneath her top.

He had to mentally scold himself in order to collect his thoughts. He had spent the last hour writing down everything he found using his shadows. Planning an attack along with possible theories on what they might find, Rogue decided infiltration was the best course of action.

"Well need to sneak into the bar and figure out who's hiring people to kidnap children. We will then need to convince them to hire us so we can discover the whereabouts of the missing villagers."

"I don't know how well that would work out, you're very well known all over Fiore as the twin shadow slayer... and I'm a woman." As much as she hated to admit it, being a woman was a setback for missions like this.

"This is true... I hadn't thought about that." Rogue began to think of alternate means of infiltration. If the mage who was leading the kidnappings was a man then maybe...

"Erm... Rogue?"

The way he began eying Lucy up and down like a piece of meat bothered her. She could practically feel his perversion seeping through her skin when he snapped out of it and asked.

"How do you feel about using the art of seduction?"

**XxX**


	15. Meeting Her Spirits

Word count: 3,192

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 15! So I have been having issues with how my chapters are uploading. I'm not sure why all of my paragraph breaks arent showing up once the story is published. Im so sorry because I know that kind of format bugs me personally. I am trying to fix it though. I wanted to introduce Rogue to Lucy's spirits without it being some huge deal. I've noticed in a lot of fanfictions that Lucy's spirits are either completely ignored, or don't live up to their personalities Mashima-sensei created. I can only hope I did well in that aspect.**

**As always this chapter was beta read and edited by celestialprincess26 on FFN!**

**Don't forget to vote, submit OCs/job requests, and let me know how you like it! Vote, favorite, follow so you are always updated on this book! Now, onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

In ta dark and dingy bar on the outskirts of Ivy, Lucy is exotically dancing on stage. Wearing a very tiny string bikini top in solid black with gold outlining, the criminals in the room gathered at her feet. There was a floor length strip of cloth covering her front and rear heald together by a gold string.

Rogue hid deep in the shadows of the stage, proactively watching over the men who were oggling _his_ celestial mage. He hated this idea, why he ever came up with it... Gods only know. He never expected Lucy to agree, let alone be so _good_ at it.

As the drums mixed with the sounds of tamberines, her uncovered hips moved to the rhythm of the music. Her hands ran up her body before she suddenly snapped down from her waist. Slowly, teasingly, she ran her fingers up her thigh as she raised her leg high, before spinning and swaying.

Rogue was struggling to keep his composure. Lucy was just so alluring to him. He wanted nothing more than to jump on that stage and claim her right there in front of all of those perverted men. But he halted himself when he noticed Lucy purposely leaving with a single man.

**XxX**

Black eyes met brown as the bohemeth of a man cornered Lucy in a small room. His green hair was matted with filth and his breath reeked of vodka and oranges. Lucy suppressed a gag and continued her act. Flirting playfully, knowing Rogue was right behind her.

She could _feel_ him. He had merged his shadow with hers and stood directly behind her. His magic was tickling her back, making her feel stronger and she knew if things got bad... all she had to do was fall backwards and she would be safe in the world of Rogues darkness.

With that reassurance in mind, she began seeking out information by silently using a newly mastered spell called Succubus Truth. With this spell, she could hypnotize any man into telling her anything she wanted to know without struggle.

"Are you the man hiring people to catch children?"

"No. I sell children."

"Who do you sell children too and for what purpose?"

"Elvish Fang has been collecting children for two years. They have a secret mine filled with Eather Nano Crystals. But the mines are deep and dangerous so they send children instead of their workers. I provide those children."

"Are you the only one?"

"No. Elvish Fang has a mercenary in their ranks whom had previously been collecting workers personally. Once she discovered me, she returned to her guild and keft me in charge."

"Where are the children being kept?"

**XxX**

The sky was covered with dark clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed in the distance. Sweat mixed with rain covered the two Sabertooth mages as they climbed the treacherous cliff on the side of Mt. Moon.

Normally, they would have just used Rogues shadows, but the lightning made the task far too dangerous. At any moment, the light would break apart his shadows and send the two plummeting to their deaths. So for now, they relied on their own endurance.

"We're near the top!"

"Lucy, let me climb ahead of you. I want to make sure there is no danger before you finksh your ascent."

"Hai!"

Seeing the top was a mere twenty feet ahead, Rouge took the chance and activated his shadows. As the next burst of lightning struck, the light did exactly as they feared and broke apart his shadows. He was free-falling over 100 feet when Lucy's quick instincts kicked in.

She grabbed her whip and flung it towards the falling slayer, catching him by his ankles. With all the strength she had left, Lucy flung Rogue to the top of the mountain and prayed he would hold onto her whip and pull her up.

As if reading her mind, Rogue grabbed the end of the whip from his ankle the moment he landed and pulled Lucy up the side of the mountain and into his arms. Taking a moment to collect themselves after a near tragedy, a sigh of relief could be heard leaving both of their mouths.

"Lucky for us there doesn't seem to be anyone here."

"Good. I'm too tired to fight right now."

"We need to find shelter until the storm passes. We can rest and begin our search as soon as the rain breaks."

"But where..."

"I see a cave over there. Hurry up."

**XxX**

It was dark. So dark, not like the shadows that had grown to comfort her. No. This darkness felt eerily similar to an experience she hoped to never relive. This was the pitch blackness of complete hopelessness.

There was something unnatural about the interior of the cave. How else could she explain the foreboding feeling of utter despair seeping within her very soul. Reaching out into the blackness, she gripped at thin air searching for her partner.

Tears began to spill from her eyes as she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her waist from behind. Lucy would have screamed had Rogue not quickly placed his hand over her mouth.

"It's me Lucy, calm down."

"Rogue." Her tense body relaxed and she allowed her body to rest against his. He pulled them down, his hands never leaving her body, and positioned themselves so they were more comfortable.

"Rogue, I'm scared. There's something... wrong with this cave."

"I feel it too. But don't be afraid. I'll protect you."

"W-what do you think it is?"

"I think it's a deterrent spell."

"You mean?"

"Yes. I believe we've stumbled upon the entrance into the mines."

"What do we do now?"

"The lightning has stopped which means the storm has nearly passed. We will leave and set up camp nearby and formulate a plan."

"Ok."

Silently the two tip toed hand in hand back towards the entrance of the cave. Although he wanted to use his shadows, Rogue was afraid if they used magic while in the cave, the person who cast the spell inside of it would be alerted to their presence; and the entire mission would fail.

He led the way, rubbing Lucy's hand with his thumb to calm her anxiety, until they finally made it outside. Though the storm has passed, a light rainfall remained. The two exhausted mages set out towards the woods near the cave. They were now at the top of Mt Moon where unusual wild beasts with magic powers were said to rest.

They hoped to steer clear of said creatures when they found a giant willow tree that was completely hollowed out. It was very much like a cave except it was warmer and not as dark. The tree must have been ancient as the inside of the hollow was nearly the size of her bedroom in her apartment.

The walls were filled with various claw marks, proving the tree was hollowed by animals rather than man. Not wanting the perfect hiding spot to go to waste, Lucy quickly called out Virgo for assistance.

"Open gate of the maiden: VIRGO!"

A ding dong sound could be heard as a puff of pink smoke appeared out of nowhere and suddenly, a woman with shirt pink hair in a maid costume with chains on her wrists became viable.

"Punnishment princess?"

Lucy sweatdropped while Rogue looked utterly confused. Why on Earthland would Lucy's spirit ask for Punnishment upon arrival?

"No Virgo. I need you to bring me something from the celestial realm to cover the opening to this tree so no one can see us. But I also need to be able to see out of it."

"As you wish princess."

With a bow, Virgo vanished before popping back in another puff of smoke almost immediately.

"Princess, this should suffice. It appears and feels like solid tree bark but you can see out of it thanks to Horologiums glass. It also blocks any trace of magic power coming from you as well as your scent and sound."

In the maids hands was a large piece of wood that fit perfectly into the opening of the tree. Rogue eatched as the maid transformed into a giant gorilla and manuvered the large cover in place. After transforming bsck into an adorable maid with a terrifying emotionless face, she looked to Lucy awaiting further instruction.

"This is perfect Virgo! Thank you!"

"Is there anything else princess? Perhaps some massage oils for you and your prince?"

"_Eh_? Virgo?!" Lucy squealed and her entire upper body flushed red. Why of all things would Virgo ask her _that_?!

"Punnishment?" Virgo said with a sly smirk. Then it hit Lucy. She was _trying_ to embarrass her. She wanted to tick her off and she knew exactly how to do it. Freaking sadist.

"No. Just go back already, and thank you for your help."

"My pleasure princess."

With a final poof of smoke the strange spirit left and Lucy was sweating in frustration. She loved her spirits dearly, but sometimes it seemed like they wouldnt be satisfied until she had a heart attack from humiliation.

"Ok now just one more. Open gate of the ram: AIRES!" Thankfully this spirits quirk was easier to deal with, plus she was quick to get the job done with no means of embarrassing Lucy.

With the same doorbell sound and a puff of fuchsia smoke, a very pale woman with pink hair in a skin tight white wool leotard appeared. She had horns like a ran on either side of her head and stood shaking as if terrified.

"I'm sorry princess. What can I do for you?"

"Hi Aries it's nice to see you. Do you think you could make somewhere for us to sleep? We didn't bring sleeping bags with us because I didnt really plan on sleeping outside in wet clothes tonight."

"I'm sorry! Wool bomb!"

In the far corner a mass of pink wool the size of a full sized bed appeared. It was nearly two feet thick and looked very comfortable. The horned woman looked down fearfully and played with her fingers as she cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Big brother is angry with you for getting in this situation and reminds you to use his stardress once fighting begins. I'm sorry!"

"It's ok Aries. Tell him to chill out and that I'm fine. Thank you for the bed."

"I'm sorry. I'll be faster next time."

"You did fine Aries. You don't have to apologize."

"Princess!"

Lucy was right. Her spirits were trying to kill her. She jumped at least three feet in the air and let out a high pitched squeal. She didn't even hear Virgos gate open so Lucy was startled by her sudden reappearance.

"Eek! Virgo? What the hell?!"

"Punnishment?" She asked with the same out of place smile.

"No!" Lucy yelled. She then took note of the bundle in her spirits hands and asked, "What was it you needed?" She must hsve brought her some dry clothes. Virgo might have been crazy, but at least she was thoughtful.

"I've brought dry sleeping clothes for you and your prince-"

"I'm sorry but he's a dragon."

"Hm?" Virgo stopped talking and looked at Aires in confusiom before walking up to Rogue. Up until this point he had been a silent bystander. But under Burgos scrutinizing gaze, he felt like they may become angrier with Lucy being alone with him. He was pleasantly surprised when she walked away and continued talking as if nothing happened. Strange.

"I see. Your dragon then."

"_Virgo_!" If Lucy wasn't embarrassed before she was now. She was almost purple from blushing so much and she wanted nothing more than for her spirits to go away for a while.

"I've also brought a blanket and some food prepared by Gemini."

"Oh. Thank you." Lucy happily accepted the items from her spirit and set them down on the new bed. Poor Aries looked conflicted as she cleared her throat to speak again.

"I'm sorry but... Leo wanted me too..."

"Does big brother intend to punish you?" Lucy just rolled her eyes. She knew Aries was ready to go back and she was ready for Virgo to go back.

"Go ahead Aries, and thank you again."

With a bow, Aries disappeared in a poor of smoke after saying her farewells.

"Goodbye princess."

"Virgo you can go too. Please tell Gemini thank you for the food."

"Hai!" With the last puff of smoke, the maid finally returned for the night and Rogue and Lucy were left alone.

"Your spirits are... _interesting_." Finally Rogue said something. At least he wasnt too put off but Lucy was still worried her spirits made him uncomfortable.

"Yea sorry about them. They're a little ... crazy but they really do care. Here." She tossed him some clothes. "Virgo brought you some pajamas"

"Thank you."

Turning their backs to each other, the two striped their wet clothes from their bodies. Their emotions were running wild as they each realized the other was naked mere feet away. It was probably two minutes at the most, but to them it felt like hours had passed when they finally turned to face each other.

Lucy was wearing a very tiny pair of skin tight black shorts with gold outlines and tight gold and black tank long sleeved shirt. Rogue wore a pair of matching black and gold fleece pants with a solid black sleeveless top.

The two walked to the corner of the room and began digging through their bags for supplies. Lucy found a rope, a fire lacrima, and a book. Rogue found chop sticks, a book, and a bottle of wine. (Why is there wine? Who knows.)

"So Yukinos spirits and your own know each other?" Rogue was interested to learn more about Lucy's magic and she was more than willing to tell.

"Yes. They all live un the celestial realm together. Since Yukino and I have decided to become sisters, our spirits are now technically joint contracted and can aid either of us in an emergency. Even without their key." She said proudly.

"That's amazing. Even Sting and I can't do that." Rogue was genuinely impressed. He had never met another mage who could use another person's magic at will.

"Well it's only possible because of the Eclipse. In reality, I wish this power wasnt an option."

"What do you mean?" He noticed lucy looked sad and he couldn't figure out why. But when she started explaining hebrealized the eclipse fiasco caused more damage to her kind than he realized.

"Well for one she and I share the same magic. For another there are less than 500 celestial wizards left in the world so our magic is rare. Since there's only three in Fiore, and I have personally helped the Spirit King on multple occasions, he granted us a power called Destiny Bond."

"What exactly is that power?" Judging by the name, there were steep conditions for her to have gained the power she seemed so excited about. He prayed it was something she wouldn't regret one day.

"I already told you. All of our spirits are now joint contracted, as will all future spirits. Even without their key, Yukino can now call one of my celestial spirits in battle or use two star dresses of mine with her own spirits. Likewise I now have access to her spirits and their star dresses. Over time as Yukino builds power, she will be able to use my sports as freely as I do. We also now have access to archive spells that haven't been used for centuries. But we have to be together in order to use those."

"It sounds like this destiny bond is a huge improvement on both of your abilities. It's like you two have merged your power into a pool of spirits in another dimension."

"I mean, basically that's what it is. The catch is, if either of us dies, our keys automatically revert to the other unless released by the survivor."

He couldn't imagine it. She had basically already given permission for her spirits to leave her. Wasn't she worried it would backfire one day?

"I can't say I understand it, but it seems like a really big deal."

"It is." She said with a somber face. "I'm basically saying that even if I have a child of my own and I died, my keys will automatically revert back to Yukino. Even if I've left them in my child's care. The only way my child would be able to keep them is if Yukino released them from their destiny bond. Same goes for her in the situation that she passes."

Rogue was beginning to worry. What if lucy changed her mind once she did become a mother? Was there a way for her to get out of this destiny bond or was she stuck with the decision for life?

"I see. Are you positive you can live with this?"

"I am. My entire life, I've been alone. Since my mother has passed, no one has truly loved me. Yukino is the only person who knows all of my secrets aside from Levy. She is the only one who understands certain things... Like losing Aquarious. I would do anuyhing to protect her, including sacrificing my spirits to aid her instead of myself. Just like I know she feels the same. We may not be blood but we are sisters of the stars. If we weren't, the destiny bond would have killed us."

"Would have... You mean you already did this?!" He didn't mean to sound angry but he was concerned for her. This was a huge decision there's no way she could've thought it through properly.

"Um..."

"When?" His voice softened but he was still worried.

"A few weeks ago, when you went on that mission with Minerva. I was lonely so I went to stay with her and we went to the spirit realm and performed the ceremony. It took us four days but it only felt like 2 hours."

"So, you've already done it?" Rogues voice was laced with defeat. He should have never left her alone. He feared he may have caused her to make a rash decision in his absence.

"Yes. But it may be a good thing. Libra and Pieces may be helpful in the upcoming fight."

"Well, I'm happy it worked out." He really wasn't but he was not about to tell her that. " Now let's see what your spirit brought us to eat shall we?"

**XxX**


	16. Let's Do This

word count 1886

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 16! Sorry for the delay, I have been super busy with work and my little big brother's graduation. As always this chapter was beta read by celestialprincess26 from FFN**

**Now, onto the story!**

**XxX**

At the stroke of midnight, two mages and one exceed entered an enchanted cave. Both Lucy and Frosch wore a special pair of glasses given to her by Virgo allowing them to see in the dark as Rogue could. The poor kitten was afraid of the dark, even with his glasses and he clung to his father figures shoulder for dear life. Lucy too was shaking with anxiety and clutching Rogues hand like a lifeline.

Silently, the three made their way down a long corridor that led to three separate tunnels.

"What do we do now?" Lucy asked. She was trying to think of a way to choose a path without the three splitting up.

"Fro is scared!" The green exceed was trembling. Poor thing really didn't know what to do.

"It's ok Fro. Rogues with us, we'll be alright." Lucy grabbed Frosch and held him close to her chest like a stuffed animal. Petting him slowly, he began to purr as his fear melted away.

"She's right Frosch, I'll protect you both. As for what to do I'm not sure. Normally I would use my shadows to search each entry and choose from the information I receive. But I'm afraid if we use magic while in this part of the cave, we'll loose the element of surprise."

"Fro still doesn't like it in here."

"It's ok Fro." At the sound of the young exceeds sniffle, a thought made its way into Lucy's mind. "Rogue, can't you smell anything or sense large masses of magic?"

"What do you mean?" His crimson eyes landed on her with a tender haze. She couldn't help the blush that rose up her neck, Rogue was after all, a very handsome man. Lucky for her, he was powerful too and it would come in handy.

"Well, if there's a group of people here or a group of children working, can't you like, I dunno, smell their sweat and blood? Or sense whatever magic is keeping them as children?"

"That's... I didn't think about that." He deadpanned at his own idiocy before comically sniffing the air with his eyes closed.

"Lucy-chan is the smartest." Frosch declared from his new perch in Lucy's arms.

"I smell a lot of blood coming from that direction" he said pointing to the left. "And I smell sweat and water coming from that way" he said pointing to the right. "But from this one," he said pointing straight, "I sense a strong magical presence."

"I think we should go to the right. If it smells like sweat and water, it's most likely where the mines are and the children are working. After we get them out, we can come bavk and go straight, that's probably where Elvish Fang hq is." She rationalized her idea with a nod of approval from rogue.

"How are we going to get them out? We have no idea how many are even in there." He pointed out.

"That's not true Rogue-kun! Grandpa Crux said so!" Rogue looked confused at who his 'son' could be calling grandpa.

"Grandpa...who?"

"He's talking about one of my spirits. The Southern Cross to be exact. He's very old and knows or can find the answer to anytging! He did a survey and determined there are a total of 36 hostages that are still alive."

"I can't shadowport that many people." Rogue deadpanned. He wasn't sure how strong the celestial mage thought he was, or maybe she simply didn't understand the strain that particular magic had on him. Either way, he was sad to say he couldn't help her.

"I know. I've already planned for that too." His dark perked up at that. Of course she had come up with a plan. Her intelligence was after all one of the things he most admired about her. "The spirit king has granted me permission to send all of the children to the entrance of the spirit world for five minutes."

"That's nice but five minutes won't help." He didn't mean to sound so rude but really... Did she honestly think they could defeat everyone in just that short amount of time? She must have more faith in him than he himself did.

"But it will." The smirk on her face let him know she had yet another trick up her sleeve. "Five minutes there is nearly three hours here. Once they are gone we can fight and clear the danger."

"I thought humans can't go to the celestial world."

"Normally they can't. But Virgo will be equiping them with blindfolds made of cloth from the spirit realm. The cloth will keep them from dying and since their eyes will be covered, they won't be breakjng any laws."

Although he knew humans weren't permitted in the spirit realm, he had always thought it was because of threat of death. He never realized there were laws that the Spirits had to abide by just like humans.

"How did you manage to set this up?" He was in awe. This girl was beyond remarkable. If she could defy the laws of an entire realm, then she must be more important than he originally thought.

"It was a favor from the spirit king." A favor... from the spirit... King? Who the hell _was_ this girl?!

"You really are a princess aren't you?"

"Baka!"

**XxX**

After explaining the details of her plan, Lucy, Rogue, and Frosch made their way down the right tunnel. Nearly an hour had passed of them walking in the dark when the tunnel finally opened up into a large brightly lot cavern.

Beautiful wasn't a strong enough word to describe the sight before them. The makeshift room they were in seemed ancient as the world itself. Rainbows of pink blue and green shone from the cealing to the floor causing Froschs eyes to grow big in wonder. With Eather Nano Crystal lined walls glittering deep beneath the earth's surface, the three could feel the magic energy radiating through the air.

"This is good for us."

"What do you mean?"

A few feet below them, they could see the entrance into where the children were being forced to mine. Rogue was impressed with how calm Lucy was being but he wondered what her plan was.

"We can send Virgo down to get them. When our magic triggers the alarm, the mages should come running. Then we can use the crystals to our benefit."

Rogue paled at the mention of the crystals. Surely Lucy understood the crystals would make the enemy stronger as well? He decided to mention it just in case. She was smart yes, but with everything going on it was very possible she simply forgot this tiny detail.

"But they will also be able to use them. It's a double edged sword, especially since they're supposed to be pretty strong to begin with..."

"Then well just have to be faster than them." Her bright smile filled him with a calm feeling. "Dont underestimate the power of a celestial mage. I'm pretty tough myself. Plus you're here. As long as I have you fighting by my side, I know we'll win."

"Fro thinks so too! Rogue-kun is the strongest!"

"No matter how strong the enemy is, you'll keep us safe. You're not just a mage, you're THE shadow dragon. How can I be afraid with a dragon on my side? Besides, I trust in your promise and..."

Rogue was stunned into silence. How? How could Lucy have so much blind faith in a man she was supposed to be terrified of? He couldn't comprehend what she was saying anymore. One thing stuck out to him more than anything.

'_How can I be afraid with a dragon _on my side?' She didn't seem afraid his true nature as he had feared. She had been the first person he had willingly told. Yes Sting, Frosch, and Lector knew, but Sting had found out on accident and told Lector who in turn told Frosch.

When they had found out, they had been angry and terrified. He was petrified that she would reject his reptilian nature, but instead, she seemed not only ok... but comforted by it. It was a reaction he had not expected and he was embarrassed to admit even to himself that her way of thinking made him feel proud to be a dragon for the first time in his life.

"Did you hear me Rogue?" He snapped out if his thoughts at the feeling of irritation coming from Lucy and immediately responded.

"I didn't catch the last part, I'm sorry Lucy." Her eye briefly twitched in annoyance before she shook her head and sighed. She figured the shadow slayer had a lot on his mind, plus he was usually pretty good at paying attention when she spoke. So she decided to let it slide just this once.

"It's ok. What I said was, Virgo said there over 50 children down there and we physically can't take that many to the spirit world, so we have to go with plan B."

Rogue had been so lost in thought he didn't realize Lucy had already called out her spirit. Not that he was complaining. That maid really creeped him out if he was being completely honest with himself.

"What's plan B?" He asked hesitantly. He didn't know anything about a back up plan. He was a little irked that Lucy had taken it upon herself to plan everything without him. Didn't she know he was known for his stragitical planning during missions and battle? Then he realized his mind was wondering again and understood why Lucy had taken the initiative herself. Lucky for him, she didn't realize he hadn't been listening again.

"I'm sending Frosch with Virgo. She will dig a tunnel far enough away that Fro can lead them to safety."

"And what if someone follows them?!" Panic struck him thinking about the danger his 'child' could be in if the powerful mages they could be facing followed him.

"The tunnel Virgo digs will collapse on itself as they're going. There won't be any chance for someone to follow." She said with confidence.

"I suppose." He agreed in a dither.

"Good because they're already gone."

"What?!" He screamed. Completely ignoring his distress, Lucy motioned Rogue to follow her.

"It's time for us to find the people running this place and shut it down." Her aura turned dark and he reeled back in nervousness. He hadn't ever felt this much anger coming from her before. He supposed it was from the fact that children were involved.

He could imagine Lucy as a protective mother. He could see it, two small children, one girl with black hair and gold eyes and one boy with blond hair and red eyes. The thought sparked something primal in him and felt a growl verberating in his chest. Shaking his head to wipe the indecent thoughts away, he looked at Lucy and smiled. If she trusted him then he could trust her... and her spirits.

"You're right." He decided. " Let's go."

**XxX**


	17. Team Natsu

word count: 2,086

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with another chapter! So heres sometging I need yall to note...**

**This chapter hasn't been beta read or edited. My beta is a little behind so i decided to go ahead and publish this for y'all anyway.**

**Also I wanted to point out that for some reason I am having issues with my chapter breaks. My drafts are spaced fine but as soon as I hit publish, the chapter breaks disappear. So I'm sorry for that.**

**Anyway so here's the unedited chapter 17 for you guys!**

**XxX**

"Ughhhh. E-erz-a p-please KILL M-ME!" The train had been going for six hours and Natsu didnt think he would last the last three. He wished Lisanna was there so he could lay on her lap, but Elfman had insisted the mission was too dangerous for the youngest Strauss sibiling and made her stay behind.

Standing from her seat, Erza smiled sadistically at the helpless dragon slayer. She quickly balled her fist up and took aim towards his stomach. "Gladly."

"I'm s-so so-sorry N-natsu-sa~ugh." Poor Wendy had recently acquired the "dragon slayer curse" and because of her own motion sickness, couldn't cast Troia on Natsu. She fell forward with circles in her eyes, completely knocked out from pure dizziness.

Gray was sitting silently staring out of the window. Normally he would have been poking fun at his 'flame brained' best friend, but he had other things on his mind. A certain bluenette had given him an ultimatum before he left on this mission and he had no idea what to do about it.

Carla and Happy were, surprisingly, curled up together in the corner sleeping, hoping the ride passed quickly. Erza, noticing Grays colder than usual demeanor, took it upon herself to find out what was wrong.

"Something on your mind?" She sat back down in front of him and equipped her katana along with some polish and a rag. She made herself look busy, hoping it would make it easier for her cold hearted 'imoto' open up to her.

"Just... thinking." His voice was so far away she knew it must have been hurting him. He had the same look on his face that he had when he thought about his parents and Ur.

"About Juvia?" She said without looking up.

"N-no! Why would I be thinking about her?!" The blush on his face was all the answer she needed. Erza wasn't sure why Gray denied his feelings for the water maiden. It was obvious to everyone how much he cared for her. In turn, Juvia was completely devoted to him. Didnt he know how good he had it? The thought almost pissed her off so she decided to keep picking at him.

"Gray, it's painfully obvious that you had gone of her. There's nothing wrong with that, it's perfectly normal. Now tell me. You miss her don't you?"

His face fell. Of course he missed her. What kind of question was that? Of course Erza was right... He denied his feelings for so long, it's no wonder Juvia reacted the way she did. "It's just..."

"Now Gray, you need to confront your fears or they'll eat you alive."

"Well, before we left she... gave me a choice."

That perked her interest. She finally looked up from polishing her sword and gave Gray her undecided attention. "I'm listening?"

"She's getting tired of me." A defeated sigh escaped his lips as he slammed his head back in frustration.

"I highly doubt that. Juvia is smitten with you."

"Maybe, but still... I haven't given her a straight answer and she wants one. She told me when I left that she wants an answer when I return or she's taking Lyon up on his offer to date her. Juvia doesn't want me anywhere near her until I have an answer. She, she's tired of waiting."

_That_, Erza could understand. There was only so much rejection one person could take. "Well, what do you want?"

"I'm ... I'm not good for her." He burried his face in his hands as he struggled to admit his thoughts aloud for the first time. " She deserves someone like Lyon. He can give her things I'll never be able too. My life is in constant threat... she'd be better off..."

"Enough." Erza stood up and slammed her fist in her hand. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was her family putting themselves down.

"I can understand why she's given you this ultimatum. You need to quit acting like a child and decide what you want. It's been almost 8 years, do you love her or not? You should know by now."

"Big talk from someone who won't admit their feelings for their own bluenette." It was only a quick whisper but the scarlet haired demon heard it nonetheless.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Look, I just... I can't tell her." He wasn't drawing back in fear like normal and Erza knew it was serious. He needed a push, something to force him to confess.

"I understand." After a moment, she came up with an idea. "Let's make a deal."

"What for?" Ecen without dragon senses Erza could tell he was apprehensive about her offer. She had to choose her words carefully or her new plot would backfire.

"When we return from this mission, we will both confess."

"You aren't serious?" He was dumbfounded. _The_ Titania, confessing to the outlaw and leader of an illegal guild Jellal Fernandez? No way.

"Oh but I am." She said with confidence. "When we finish this mission, you will confess to Juvia and I will confess to Jellal."

After a few minutes of silence Gray finally made a decision.

"Deal."

**XxX**

Once in the city of Nori, Team Natsu made their way towards the mayor's house to find out details of the job. The request didnt hold many clues as to what or whom was terrorizing the children of the city, and the rambunctious group was determined to find the cause of so many disappearances.

The mayor's home was much like any other mayor they'd visited in the past. A two story house set at the top of a hill surrounded by an iron gate. The interior was elegant yet subtle. Brown and gold adorned the walls while maroon furniture filled the rooms. The floors were a light shade of oak wood that matched the tables and shelves in the sitting room where the Fairy Tail mages currently sat.

The mayor himself was not an impressive man. He was a heavy man who stood four foot eleven inches. His chestnut hair was referring and beginning to gray. He wore a plain brown suit and leather lovers along with a gold sash across his chest. His green eyes reflected the loss of sleep the poor man had suffered at the loss of his cities youngest citizens.

Taking charge as usual, Erza was the first to speak. "Mr. Suzuki, I am Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail. This is Natsu, Gray, and Wendy. Now from what the mission request stated, you've had a sudden rash of children disappearing. Is that correct?"

"It is! Oh it's been so awful these past few weeks... Over fourty children have turned up missing in less than a month!" Tears were comically streaming down his face as he howled like an animal.

"Do you have any idea what may be causing this?" Gray asked in annoyance. He felt bad for the kids sure, but this man was just... annoying for some reason.

"There have been rumors of a dark guild in the area." Mr Sazuki fell to the floor in a very undignified manner, almost looking like he was throwing a tantrum. "There has been talk of a child slave trade run by the guild. I didn't believe it at first but what else could it be?!"

"That's horrible!" Wendy cried. Being an empath, her aura immediately darkened and she felt the true weight of the irksome man's distress. The problem was, the emotions she was feeling weren't that of sadness or mourning like she would expect. This put her on edge.

"Despicable." Erza agreed fully. Images of her own time in the Tower of Heaven flashed through her mind. The thought of children being forced into hard labor made her furious. But Mr Sazuki also had her mind running wild. She didn't trust him.

She wouldn't lie to herself, something about this man didn't sit right with her. Weather it was because he reminded her so much of Itchya or because his emotions felt forced, she wasn't sure.

It seemed they were all thinking the same thing when it came to the Mayor of Nori. Even so, they had accepted the job and knowing what the children may be facing; he decided to put it in the back of his mind. For the moment anyway. "Don't worry Mr. Suzuki, well find them and bring them home."

"Yosh, I'm all fired up now!"

"This file contains all of the information on the missing children, as well as leads that my cities guards have picked up during our investigation." He presented a three inch thick file filled with notes, diagrams, and photos.

"This will be very useful, thank you." Erza said as she took the large overstuffed tan envelope and handed it to Wendy. "Give us a few days and we'll find your culprit and bring them to justice!"

"Thank you Fairy Tail!"

**XxX**

Meanwhile...

Virgo had vanished into the ground of the cave, bewildering the already frightened children. The bubbly green exceed spread his wings and flew records the newly formed hole.

"Come on kids follow Fro!"

"Who are you?" One brave little boy demanded weakly. He stood tall in front of a small girl no more than six who cried in terror behind him. "Big brother, I'm scared."

"Where are we going? Are you gonna hurt us too?"A girl with teal hair questioned. A young angry looking young boy with shoukder length violet hair and thick eyebrows walked up behind her and took charge of the children.

"Let's go already. I don't have time for all of your whining! We've got a chance to get out of here now come on!" Frosch thought this child looked suspiciously like the man Shinji they were looking for and smiled proudly. He was being helpful just like Lucy-chan promised he would.

Everyone may have loved the cosplaying neeko, but the downside to being so adorable was, no one trusted him to help them. Lucy-chan was different. She trusted Frosch with the most important job of the mission. She trusted him to protect the children. He knew his 'dad' wouldn't be happy, but if Frosch could complete his job and have base camp set up... maybe Rogue would stop treating him like a baby all the time.

"Fro would never hurt children! Fro is a proud Sabertooth Mage and we came to save you. Fros dad is here to fight the bad guys with the pretty Fairy lady. Just follow Virgo-chan and Fro!"

Through the dark freshly dug tunnel, Virgo led Frosch and the many children through twists and turns, miles beneath the earth. After nearly thirty minutes, Virgo emerged in the forest east of the cave they had just escaped from. Frosch happily flew out of the tunnel followed by the line of children. The smallest were the first to emerge, ranging in ages of five to eleven, the starved and beaten boys and girls filed out one by one.

As the final child, an eleven year old boy named Isaac, came out of the tunnel, the ground began to shake as the hidden escape route collapsed on itself. Leaving no trace behind, the group sighed in relief knowing no one from the cave could have followed them.

Virgo began walking around and checking each child for wounds. "We will need supplies Fro, I'll be right back."

"Fro, will they come after us?" A young boy with dark blue, almost black hair who Frosch had come to know as Isaac asked. He was around eleven, kind of short, and very skinny. He had black tattoos running up his arms and wielded untrained shadow god slaying magic.

"Don't worry Isaac-san, Rogue-kun and Lucy-chan will defeat them and meet us here. But we have to set up camp first!"

"Can I help?" The young boy wanted to make himself useful. He knew who Rogue was the moment Frosch said his name. He was the Shadow Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth, twin to the master and advisor to shadow mages across Fiore. Isaac hoped that by making himself useful to the Shadow masters son, he would take pity on the orphan he was and let him join Sabertooth. To be trained under the only shadow master in four hundred years and the only God Slayer left in Fiore would be a dream come true.

"Sure! First, we gotta set up a tent for all the hurt kids and another tent for the not hurt ones. We also gotta set up Rogue-kun and Lucy-chans tent too. Then we gotta build a fire, set up a boundary line, and find some food while we treat the really hurt kids."

"Ok. I can do the tents, fire, and I can help with cooking but, I'm not very good at it." He admitted shyly.

"That's ok! When we go home Lucy-chan will teach you to cook!"

"Home?"

"Well yea, aren't you gonna come to Sabertooth since you don't have a family? You said you were a God Slayer, Sting-kun would definitely let you join!"

Without knowing it, Froschs absentminded assumption had quelmed any fears the young boy had. With tears escaping his eyes, he smiled for the first time in a long time. "Yea, I'd really like that. So... Where are the tents?"

As if on cue, a puff of pale pink smoke filled the area and Virgo popped back onto the scene with her arms full of bags and supplies.

"I'm back mina! I've brought sleeping, eating, medical, and hygiene items for the entire group."

"Yay! Virgo-chan is the best!" The young exceed cheered. Isaac just stared much like the other uninjured children. By this time, the older children, aka the grownups under a curse, had begun separating the critical from less severely wounded kids while the uninjured began digging a fire pit and gathering what supplies they could from the area around them.

"Thank you Fro. Will the young master be laboring alongside us?" She asked looking at the now nervous boy. He didnt know why, but that maid gave him the creeps. But she was there to help him so he didn't say anything rude.

"Uh... Fro doesn't know what you're saying, but Isaac-sama is gonna help us set up tents!"

"Good. Isaac-sama, there are six tents. I've marked a border for our campsite so be sure to keep the tents near the center."

"Hai!"

At least she had already set up a peremiter, so they wouldn't need to worry about that. He grabbed the tents and began to set them up in a semi circle near the now compleated fire pit.

"Frosch, we need to separate the wounded and begin treatment on the most severe."

"Fro thinks so too!"

Unfortunately, without immediate attention from a healer some of those kids wouldn't make it through the next few hours. Gemini couldn't come so they were left hoping for a miracle.

**XxX**


	18. Reversal

word count: 2,320

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with a double upload! So today I heard from my super awesome Beta and decided yall deserved a treat for being so patient! So heres chapter 18 beta read by the wonderful celestialprincess26 from FFN now... onto the story!**

**_Back in Nori..._**

"Are you sure this is the place Wendy?" Gray was standing with Erza behind a large boulder near the edge of the forest. Wendy was poking her head out from between the two with Carla closely by her side. Happy was sitting on Natsu's shoulder as he smelled the air for any sign of Wendy's magic.

"Hai! I used the sky dragon's illusion trick that I learned from Gemini. I allowed my double to be captured so I could track the missing children's location." They were looking at a manmade clearing at the center of the wood where a shaggy house stood. There were dozens of shipping crates closed and locked with four inch thick metal chains.

Wendy could feel her own magic wavering under the anti-magic cuffs placed on her double. Closing her eyes, she connected with her magic and used her doubles' eyes as her own.

The fake Wendy had been trapped inside of one of those containers, from what she could tell there were at least two dozen other children in the crate with her double and they had all been chained, gagged, and blindfolded.

Opening her eyes, a visible shudder ran through the young dragon slayer, as she briefed everyone on what she had witnessed. Training with Lucy and Gemini had been a great thing for Wendy.

"Ingenious! Good job Wendy." Erza praised. Pride was written all over her face as she watched the girlshebrought to Fairy Tail beaming with confidence in her new magic.

"Yea way to go Wendy!" Gray agreed patting the young bluenette on the head.

"You shouldn't expect anything less from my girl." Carla pointed out with Happy nodding in agreement in the background.

"You did such a good job raising her Carla." Happy admired with hearts in his eyes. He tried offering some of his fish to the wWhite exceed but as always, she shot him down with a humph.

"I can smell someone coming. Let's do this guys!" Natsu lit his fist on fire and charged at three unsuspecting S Class mages from Elvish Fang...

**XxX**

The inside of the cave was putrid. Lucy could barely contain her own gagging and dared not breathe from her nose. How Rogue was enduring it with his heightened senses was a mystery to the young blonde.

They were traveling down the right path of the cave. Lucy had a feeling the mages they were looking for wouldn't be down this particular pathway but wanted to know what was causing the smell.

It smelled like rotting flesh mixed with human bile. Enough blood was soaked into the ground that a metallic coppery smell lingered beneath the decaying smell of corpses.

Eventually they found what they'd hoped not to. Stepping into another large hollowed out cavern, their eyes adjusted to the light only to be met with a horrific scene. Hundreds of tiny bodies were piled up haphazardly in dozens of piles around the newly opened room.

They were in various stages of decomposition. Judging by the bones peaking from the pile, some of these children may have been there for months. Lucy couldn't hold it in anymore. With tears in her eyes she turned and regurgitated everything she had eaten that day.

Rogue soon followed suit. After taking a moment to compose themselves, they looked at each other with a newfound determination. "We can't let these people escape!.!"

"Fucking psychopaths. I don't know what to do here, Fairy Tail has never faced an enemy that would do...this.Especially to children!"

"Yes you have." He said sympathetically. "There is a reason Gajeel-san won't act on his feelings for your friend. You'd be surprised to learn what we were forced to do in Phantom Lore."

They turned and headed back out the way they came. Determined to go down the last path and take down the crazed mages of Elvish Fang. "What do you mean we?"

"Were you not aware I was once a member of that guild?" A quick shake of her head let Rogue know Lucy didn't really know as much about him as he thought.

"Well, after my father died, I went looking for the only family I had left."

"Your brother."

"Hn. He agreed to train me until I was ready to join the guild. But, when I got my first mission... I couldn't do it. So I quit and ran away. That's when I ran into Sting. His father and my father had been best friends so we in turn were best friends growing up."

Rogue paused for a minute, he wasn't sure if it was really his place to tell this story but he also knew he wanted to tell Lucy the truth. He knew he could trust her not to say anything so he continued.

"From what I understood, Sting's dragon became ill and because of it, he started going crazy. One day, his father attacked a nearby village that had always been kind to them. In order to protect the village, Sting killed his father. Since we had gone through similar situations, grew up with each other, and had nowhere to go... we decided to train together in the village Sting had saved. Sabertooth was founded in that village and slowly it became the city of Acontium, home of the former number one guild in Fiore."

"I had no idea. What was the mission you refused to take?" Lucy asked.

"Kidnapping you."

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks and Rogue continued to walk._He was supposed to kidnap me but instead Gajeel did._She wondered why Rogue would have refused since they didn't even know each other at the time. Seeing how far ahead Rogue had gotten, Lucy jogged to catch up to him and they made their way to the evil mages hideout.

**XxX**

"We're running out of time Vince. Those children aren't producing nearly as many crystals as I need! Make them work harder!" A woman with shoulder length ivory hair was looking over a stack of papers, grinding her teeth in frustration.

She wore a long emerald green dress with black and gold tribal outlining on the skirt. Her hands were covered with black lace gloves and her shamrock eyes burned in fury.

"I understand we're on a tight schedule Lady Opal but-" The cowering man knew he was screwed. His already filthy and tattered red pants became soiled with his own urinal fear when the witch known as Opal removed her gloves. He bowed his head, his shaggy brown hair covering his face as he awaited punishment.

"Are you back talking me?!" With a wave of her arm, black and green orbs of light began to surround the unkempt man. His body began to convulse in pain as invisible bolts of lightning pierced every nerve in his torso. The skin on his arms began to bubble as the constant electricity in his veins began to cook him from the inside out. Vince cried out in pain and pissed himself before passing out.

"That's enough Opal." A tall man stepped in and her attack ceased immediately. His hair was as dark as his skin, pulled back in braids with a braided beard to match. He wore something like a business suit with a cape and hood that covered his face. A strong magic energy was radiating from him as he made his way towards the white headed woman.

"Vince has already been working them twenty hours a day. They physically can't work any harder. If you want faster results, you'll need to bring in more children."

"So now this ismyfault?!" Scoffing, she flipped her vanilla hair over her shoulder and turned to leave in a huff. "Ifyouhadn't have used half my work force for your stupid labor test, this wouldn't be a problem!"

"It's not my fault Clemonts' calculations were off. If he would have done his job right, I would have only sucked their magic power away instead of frying them to death."

Both arguing mages ignored the groaning coming from Vince. He had just regained some form of consciousness and noticed the shadows moving in an unnatural way. When he realized what it was, he tried with all his might to warn his caretakers, but it was too late. From the shadows, an attack was launched. All the while, the guild mates continued bickering none the wiser.

"You're an asshole Ralf. Everything isalwayssomehow or anothermyfault. I'm going to get more kids but this time-"

"Lady Opal LOOK OUT!" Using what little strength he had left, Vince sprang into action. Forgetting his own pain, the loyal lackey jumped from the ground and pushed the vile woman out of harm's way. As she fell to the ground, a dagger made of shadows pierced where she had been previously standing.

"Open gate of the Lion: Loke!"

"Your knight in shining armor has arrived princess!"

"Star dress: Leo form!" A bright golden light filled the cavern. It was so bright that everyone but Lucy and Loke were temporarily blinded. Taking the enemies' moment of weakness to her advantage, Lucy charged. The light that had been surrounding her body quickly faded revealing her in a stunning floor length strapless black dress and elegant hair bun. The light then began to reform but this time, it was only in her foot.

As Rogue shook the last of the bright dots from his vision, he witnessed something rather comical. Lucy had focused all of her energy to the tip of her stilettos and cried out savagely. "Regulus Lucy Kick!"

She made contact with the man named Ralf's face, effectively knocking him unconscious. If anything, he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight anymore. The woman known as Opal grew furious and began attacking Lucy with an unknown magic.

"Elvin constriction!" An unseen force grabbed Lucy by both her wrists and ankles and lifted her into the air. Rogue charged towards the now struggling mage alongside her lion spirit, but to no avail.

The moment the men were within reaching distance of the stellar mage, something unexpected happened. Loke cried out in pain and began to disappear in a cloud of stardust. Confused because they hadn't been attacked, Rogue looked back at Lucy and noticed something shocking. Her star dress had vanished and she was losing whatever fight she had in her.

Confused even further Rogue looked at the woman and realized she hadn't yet noticed his presence. He took the opportunity and melted into the shadows and made his way directly underneath Lucy. It was then he understood what was happening. This woman, Opal, was using some form of dark magic to cancel out Lucy's Celestial magic.

Rogue quickly switched positions and joined Opals shadow. With her back to him, he slowly began to emerge from the shadow, tanto in hand. He aimed the eight inch mini katana right at the base of her neck, hoping to end it in one fail swoop. Hehadplanned on letting the Rune Knights take this woman into custody for questioning, but she had fucked up royally.

Thiswoman, no,this monster... she hurt Lucy. She forced her spirits gate closed and cut her off from her magic. This was something Rogue could not forgive. Damn the consequences, no one hurthisLucy and lived.

With every ounce of forearm strength he could muster, he drove the dagger into her spine with a sickening cracking and squishing sound. He twisted the blade for good measure before violently ripping it back out. Her magic hold immediately ceased and Lucy landed on her feet; dizzy, cut up, and frightened, but otherwise unharmed.

Opal was gurgling with her struggle for breath. She looked at Lucy who was now in Rogue's arms before shifting her gaze to the man that had been her demise. Opal knew she was dying. She played no fantasies of reduce. What she did instead was issue one final curse. Something she had learned from her sister.

She wouldn't be able to take her revenge on the man who would ultimately be her killer, but she could steal what was most precious to him.Let's see how the silent hero lives the rest of his days without that which he most desires. Contrarium.

With her final thought, a dark light surrounded Rogue. His body began to flicker and fade before he completely disappeared and was replaced by a small six year old child. As the light faded, Opal took her final breath. In a fit of worry, Lucy scooped the now fourty pound child into her arms and ran as fast as she could out of the cave.

She needed to meet up with the children and Frosch, contact the Rune Knights, and get Rogue to a healer before whatever that woman did to him became permanent.

"Excuse me miss?" That small innocent voice startled her. She was so used to the husky and slightly seductive tone the grown Rogue used that she had to remind herself this was the same person.

"Y-yes?" She prayed it wasn't what she feared.Please don't let him forget me.She thought as he turned his face to her. His beautiful ruby eyes glistened in the natural glow of the ether crystal lined cave walls. The next four words would crush her heart in a way she never knew was possible.

"Do I know you?"

**XxX**


	19. Help

Word count: 2,073

**Hey monsters Oneechan here with chapter 19!!! This one has been edited by celestialprincess26 from FFN! I really hope you guys are enjoying this FT/ST crossover mission arc. Now, onto the story...**

_"Frosch has already checked in with over three dozen injured children and Lucy's spirit Virgo. As we speak Lucy and Rogue are battling at least one S class mage, possibly more." No more words were needed. Erza cut off the connection with a respectful bow before turning to her comrades.__"Hang on Lucy, we're on our way."_

**XxX**

"We got here about ten minutes ago." Inside of a large purple tent, Lucy was cleaning up her wounds and waiting for Virgo to return with fresh clothes for both her and a now pint sized dragon. Erza had taken the opportunity to corner her and try to demand answers she didn't have.

In truth, Lucy wasn't sure what exactly had happened in there. All she knew is that she was extremely confused to begin with and her teams' appearance wasn't helping. So she demanded her own answers which Erza was more than happy to give.

"Wendy began treating the critically injured, Natsu, Happy, and Carla headed out to catch some fish to eat. I was about to head in there when you came out. Now it's your turn." Erza glanced at the frightened child in Lucy's arms before looking at the girl in question and demanding. "Explain yourself."

**XxX**

"It felt like I was back in that cave. My eyes wouldn't open and everything kept replaying in my mind. It was like she was forcing me to relive the most painful memories I have." Silent tears began to escape Lucy's eyes.

She sat on a log around the makeshift fire pit with a sleeping Rogue in her lap. She had convinced Erza the children needed attention first and had managed to put off the impending conversation for a few hours. But now it was midnight. The children had all been treated and picked up by Rune Knights, all but Isaac that was.

Wendy, Gray, Natsu, Happy, and Carla had fallen asleep after the last of the children had left leaving only Lucy and Erza awake. The redhead took the initiative and started the conversation that turned very dark very quickly.

"I could feel her blocking my magic, just like he did. Everything she made me see, it wasn't just watching a memory... I was reliving it. I could feel every hit, every scratch, every breath... I could feel it. The pain I've been fighting so long to forget, I felt it all over again."

She paused and spared a sad glance at the sleeping child in her lap. "I was scared. I remembered what Rogue is capable of and all of my feelings of trust I've built over the last few weeks flew out the window. I don't know what to do now."

"I see. You never did tell me just what happened in that cave with Rogue."

**XxX**

_Flashback...__Lucy struggled to open her swollen eyes but gave up soon after the pain began. It wouldn't matter anyway, she doubted she could see anymore even if she could open her eyes.__Her throat was so dry and her lips had long since cracked beyond repair. Each breath she took was a battle of will as she was fairly certain a few of her ribs were broken along with her wrists and shoulders.__Rogue kept her chained up so long that she was left with no feeling in her arms. The only good thing was she was now numb to the pain of his so called games. She could, however, feel the raw parts of her exposed cut flesh burning and oozing with infection. The smell was so rancid that she was nearly thankful she had been starved. If she did have food in her stomach, it wouldn't have been there long due to the revolting stench of piss and blood._

**XxX**

"I probably won't ever tell you Erza. Much like what happened to you in the Tower of Heaven, there are some things I just can't bring myself to speak on."

A solemn look crossed Ezra's face as her own memories of torture flashed through her mind. "I...I understand. I'm sorry I didn't realize whatever happened was so traumatic for you. I won't bring it up again."

"Thank you Erza." Lucy let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She unconsciously began to run her fingers through the sleeping boy's hair. The feeling soothing her as much as it did him. A content sigh escaped his sleepy lips and he snuggled closer to the confused stellar mage.

"But seriously Lucy. What are you gonna do about Rogue?" What was she going to do? She honestly had no idea. She had never been responsible for a child before, not in this sense anyway. How long would he be that way? Would he remember everything when he was normal again? Could he return to normal at all? There were too many unanswered questions and Lucy for once didn't have the answers.

"Well, I guess I'll be taking care of him until we figure out how to change him back."

"And how are you planning on doing that?" Erza sure wasn't making this easy. What would she do? An idea popped in her head and she blurted it out without much thought.

"Rufus, Freed, and Levy!" A quizzical look took over Ezra's face and Lucy just giggled in response. "Between the four of us, I know we'll find a cure."

Erza seemed to like that response because she quickly came up with a plan of action. "We'll head to Fairy Tail tomorrow. You can explain the situation to Levy and Freed and you can take a train ride back to Sabertooth."

"Ok." Thank Gods for Ezra's assertiveness.

**XxX**

Walking through the doors of Fairy Tail was like a welcome breath of fresh air. Being inside the familiar rinky-dink whisky soaked guild surrounded by the faces of the friends she had come to call family was all the anti-anxiety medicine she needed at the moment.

She didn't realize how much she had come to rely on the comfort of Rogues' arms until it wasn't there anymore. Now, she was the one doing the comforting. She was the one he would turn to. Instead of being her protector, he would now count on her to protect him.

Sitting Rogue on the ground she motioned for him to introduce himself to some of the other Fairy Tail kids. He quickly ran off to play with Asuka and Romeo pulling Isaac behind him. At least the two boys were adjusting well enough.

The thought was overwhelming for Lucy and she narrowly avoided a panic attack on the train ride there. A bob of messy periwinkle hair brought her from her thoughts and her best friend popped up in front of her.

"Lu-chan I've missed you!" She was still the same short and overly excited mage Lucy remembered. A few weeks couldn't have made that much of a difference... Right?

"Levy-chan! How are you?" Lucy hugged back. The dark violet sleeves of her kimono clashed with the orange of Levy's detached sleeves. After a bone crushing hug, the two ladies headed to their favorite table in the corner of the guild.

"I'm fine. But tell me... How's life at Sabertooth? Is everything ok with, well you know," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "Rogue?" Levy prayed she hadn't upset her friend when a look of distress crossed the blondes face.

"It's fine." She said "He's... nice. It's... hard though you know?" Levy looked at her busty best friend with a look of 'what' written on her face. Lucy wasn't one to play into stereotypes but she was dangerously borderline dumb blonde at the moment with her lack of information. "I need your help Levy-chan, Freed too."

**XxX**

After a few hours and a lot of explaining later, Lucy and Levy were sipping on mimosas and plotting their next move. Rogue was passed out with Wendy, Romeo, Asuka, and Isaac. They were basically piled on top of each other on a giant bean bag in front of a movie lacrima projection playing some random cartoon about creatures with magical powers that are caught trained and used in battle with humans. Lucy was glad Rogue was acting like a normal six year old boy instead of the antisocial silent man she'd come to know.

Levy called her attention and they went back to their discussion. "So what you're saying is Rogue was put under some sort of spell or curse and now he's stuck as an adorable six year old kid with no memory of you or anything else?"

"Basically." She sighed in defeat.

"That sucks Lu-chan." The teasing tone in her voice wasn't missed by the miffed celestial mage.

"Thank you Levy that's very insightful." Sarcasm dripped from every word she spat. Didn't Levy understand how much Lucy was freaking out inside over this? Rogue was a freaking child andshewas responsible for him because he was her Sabertooth partner!

"No need to get snippy." Levy snapped back but seeing the turmoil in her friend's eyes dropped it at once. "Are you ok Lu-chan... really?"

"Sorry, I'm just, really stressed about this... I'm worried about the whole thing Levy-chan. I don't know what to do."

"It's ok. I shouldn't have teased you." A quick smile shared between the two was all the apology needed before they moved on and went back to brainstorming. "But seriously Lu-chan, Porlyusica already checked him and said physically he's fine."

"That's great but how long is he gonna be stuck like this?"

"Freed has already left to the library of Alexia. He said he may find answers there. I've already got Gajeel getting us tickets to meet him out there. Go back to Sabertooth and let Rufus in on everything and I'm sure we'll figure this out."

"I guess you're right." There was really nothing more to be done. No one was at the moment sure if this was a curse, spell, or something else. All Lucy could do was take care of the man (boy?) until he was back to normal.

Trying to lighten the mood Levy decided to help Lucy look at the fun side of having a kid around. "Halloween is in a few days, may be you guys can find something to do to celebrate."

A bright smile broke and Lucy perked up with a look of nostalgia in her eyes. "My mom and I used to do lots of stuff around this time of year, I think I'll do some of those things with Rogue."

"You better call and tell me all about it." Levy stood up like she was ready to go. Gajeel wasn't back yet so Lucy was confused. Either way she shrugged it off and gave her friend one last hug.

"I will." When she walked over to Rogue and Isaacs' sleeping forms, she was shocked to hear the guild doors open followed by a familiar gruff voice.

"Yo shorty, it's time to go if you wanna catch this damn train you made me buy tickets for."

"Coming!" It was like she knew he was on his way. This confused Lucy even more. She'd have to remember to ask her friend about it the next time she saw her. Looking back down Lucy found herself in a predicament. Both boys were asleep, Isaac was almost as tall as her so she wouldn't be able to carry him but she didn't want to wake him up.

She then scooped Rogue up in her arms. Instinctively, he snuggled into her soft chest and gripped her shirt in his tiny fist. She smiled softly and called Frosch over. He also smiled and released his wings. Grabbing Isaac, he followed Lucy towards her old apartment. She decided the boys could sleep there while she packed some things to take to Sabertooth with her. She still had a little over ten months left there after all.

When Rogue snuggled even closer to her, a sigh of content left his small mouth. Lucy nearly burst into tears at how freaking cute it was. "Maybe having him as a kid for a while won't be so bad."

"Fro thinks so too!"


	20. Day One

Word count: 2,577

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 20! The next two chapters are ready to go so I'll upload them soon. I'm having a hard time with chapter 23 though. Hopefully I can get it written in the next week or so if not publishing may be delayed a few dats because I still need to have it edited. Anyway, here's a little look into a child Rogue**

** Now, onto the story! Note... Isaac is based off of my (almost) 11 year old son Isaac. I'll also be featuring my other two sons Daniel and Caine later on in the book!**

**XxX**

It should have been a pleasant morning. It. was around nine and Lucy was putting the finishing touches on the luggage she was packing. After her talk with Erza and then Rogue and Isaac, Lucy had a feeling she wouldn't be needing her apartment much longer.

She had spent the night packing every one of her belongings, down to taking her furniture apart and boxing it up. Her bedroom was now bare and the only room left to pack was her kitchen. She planned on leaving Virgo behind to pack everything up and store it in the spirit world with everything else.

She had planned on making omurice for breakfast but when she walked out of the sanctuary of her bedroom, she was met with the War of the Kids.

"Waffles!"

"Fishy pancakes!"

"French toast!"

"But I want waffles!"

Lucy groaned and threw her head into her hands. How stupid of her to think these kids would be as cute in the morning as they were when they were asleep. She stood in the kitchen doorway and watched, half annoyed at their yelling and half amused by the absurdity of their argument.

"Fro doesn't want your gross waffles and French toast!"

"Gross? Your _fishy_ pancakes are the gross things!"

"We're having French toast!"

"But I want-"

"Can you three stop it please?" She couldn't take it anymore. Not only were they giving her a headache, but they needed to hurry up or they would miss their train back to Sabertooth. Sting had been furious when Lucy had called and explained what happened. She wasn't looking forward to facing him and thesechildrenweren't making her life any easier. "I'll make all three."

"That's ok Lucy, I'll eat waffles you don't have to make French toast."_Kawaii! Of course Rogue offers to make something easier for me. Even as a child he's a gentleman!_

"No worries Rogue, if you want French toast then that's what we'll make! Go pick out the bread you want along with whatever meat you want on the side. Isaac, you can help make the waffles you want by picking your berries and cutting up some fruit. Fro, go pick a fish from the fridge and grab the milk butter and eggs while you're in there."

With instructions handed out, Lucy put on her lacy pink cooking apron and started the task of preparing three special meals for her three favorite boys.

**XxX**

Lucy considered herself lucky given the situation. Normally tickets for four people on the train would've been over 100,000j. But because both Rogue and Isaac were children, they got a huge discount. They didn't even charge Fro since technically he wasn't a person and he was asleep. In all Lucy saved 50,000j cutting the cost completely in half.

Together she, Rogue, Frosch, and her newest companion Isaac made their way towards the front of the train. Because of the discount, Lucy was able to afford first class tickets, something she rarely allowed herself to indulge in. But she figured that since she basically had three children with her, she would give them the ultimate experience.

"Woah I've never been on a train before!" Isaacs hazel eyes were beaming with excitement. It was like he was seeing a train for the first time in his life.

"I haven't either!" Rogue looked equally amazed. But it was short lived when Frosch pointed out that Rogue had in fact, been on a train many times before.

"Yes you have Rogue-kun. Usually you get sick and sleep in Lucy-chans lap but since you're little again you won't get sick!"

"What do you mean Fro?" Lucy asked suddenly interested. "What does Rogue being young have to do with his motion sickness?"

"Dragon Slayers don't get motion sickness until they hit pu-ber-ty... whatever that is. Rogue-kun told Fro he didn't start getting motion sickness until he was fourteen."

Lucy thought it was adorable how the exceed struggled with the word and realized she never knew that fun fact about dragon slayers. "Hmm. I didn't know that. I guess that explains why Wendy only just started getting motion sickness."

"Fro thinks so too."

"So Lucy-chan, what are we gonna do when we get back to Aconitum?" Rogue asked innocently.

"Well first we will take Isaac to see Master acting and-" poor Lucy couldn't finish her thought before Rogue cut her off.

"That idiot is a guild master?!"

"Yes Rogue."_I swear this kid has the attention span of a squirrel_. "Remember how I told you that you are actually a man in your twenties and that you're under a spell right now?"

"Yes." Lucy expected him to be upset about the situation but he seemed more excited with how 'awesome' he was. "So that means I must be really strong if my best friend is guild master!"

"One of the strongest there is." Lucy said with a soft smile.

"You don't gotta lie about it meanie!" Rogue thought she was being sarcastic. He didn't realize she would never do anything like that until Isaac and Frosch spoke up in her defense.

"But she's not lying Rogue-kun is the best at fighting!"

"Yeah! You're the Twin Shadow Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth! You're like... famous!"

"Yup." Lucy patted his head and inflated his ego just a little bit. "Together, you and Sting have taken over the guild from a psychotic dictator and turned it into a home for mages to come together for the greater good of all Aconitum's people. Although, you're the smart one of the two of you guys."

"That's because Sting is a moron." Rogue said with a sly smirk.

"Can't argue with that." Lucy agreed.

"How can you talk about your own guild master like that?! " Isaac was panicking at his companions' actions. A guild master was someone to be treated with the utmost respect and there they were making fun of him without a care in the world. "Aren't you scared of getting in trouble?"

"Don't worry Isaac. Sting is Rogue's adopted brother and basically my brother in law. Also I'm not really part of Sabertooth."

"What?!" Both Rogue and Isaac seemed unnaturally upset by this exclamation. Lucy's heart broke at the flash of hurt in both boys eyes.

"But... your guild mark..." Rogues voice sounded more defeated with each word spoken.

"I'm actually from Fairy Tail." She didn't know why she felt guilty but she did. She didn't want to disappoint them. She had to be careful with what she said.

"I'm here helping Sting learn how to run the guild. I'm also on a vacation of sorts and for the time being, I've temporarily joined Sabertooth. I'll be going home in a little less than a year though."

"But I don't want you to leave!" She was shocked. Even in his child like form, Lucy never imagined Rogue would leap on her and begin sobbing at the thought of losing her.

"I thought you were going to take care of me from now on." Isaac sounded completely disconcerted. It was only one day prior that Lucy swore to him that he didn't have to worry about not having a family. She had told him she Frosch and Rogue would be his new family and now she was taking that promise back. He felt betrayed and he showed it on his face.

"Boys, look." She couldn't take it. She didn't care what she had to do. She would find a way to stay with them no matter what. It would be hard. She may even need to leave the guild for long periods at a time, but she wouldn't let Isaac down. He was a child with no one to love him. She knew all too well how that felt and she'd be damned if she would be the cause of Isaac's next heartache.

"It's still a long way away and who knows what might happen between now and then. Maybe I'll move closer so I could visit Sabertooth a few times a week. And Isaac, of course I'll take care of you. I promised to never leave you alone and a celestial mage never breaks a promise! Let's work on getting Rogue back to normal and then we'll worry about me leaving. Deal?"

"Deal!" Thankfully both boys agreed with no questions asked. In their mind she had just reaffirmed that she was there to stay, and that was good enough for them.

As the boys finally settled into the compartment, Lucy spotted a passing conductor. She waved him down and after a short discussion, she slipped him 20,000j.

All three of her noisy traveling companions would be experiencing the Ultimate Conductors Tour. A privilege usually reserved for the elite families. A Name like Heartfilia easily opened up doors to experiences that anyone else could only dream of. It wasn't often that Lucy dropped her name to get what she wanted, but just this once. If it would make her boys happy, then she'd scream her father's last name from the hilltops.

Thanks to the social standing of her surname, the boys would be given official conductors hats and badges while they helped puncture each passenger's ticket stub. Once they finish their 'work' they will get to take a break in the hidden workers cart, including donuts and hot cocoa, they were sure to have fun.

After that they would also get to see the engineers' cabin and learn first-hand how a train works. They would have the opportunity to steer the train for a few minutes each along with getting to pull the whistle. After all of that, they would be given the title of honorary conductor along with a special seafood meal prepared for top tier passengers only.

**XxX**

Lucy was enjoying her time alone. Isaac Rogue and Frosch had left with a very kind old man named Elon right after she slipped him the money. She imagined she had only a few more minutes to herself before the three rambunctious boys came running back to tell her all about their adventures.

She decided to use her time writing a new chapter for her novel. With everything that had gone on recently, she had more than enough inspiration for a dramatic break up scene that would be the turning point for her heroine's new life. If real life heartbreak was good for anything, it was that you could put someone else's name instead of you own and pretend it didn't really happen to you but instead was some sick twisted storyline you came up with.

**XxX**

_Rinji was enraged. How dare she question him? Even if her accusations were spot on, it didn't give her the right to call him out on it. She was his woman after all so he could do with her what he pleased. She had all but thrown herself at him all these years. No matter what he did, she would always forgive him._

_So what if he stayed out drinking all night. So what if he went home with a 'friend' and 'forgot' to tell her. So what if he had scratch marks on his back and hickeys on his neck. It was her fault for not being good enough. She was always crying. Complaining about the things she didn't have instead of appreciating what he gave her. Even if it was mostly financial debt. At least she got his company at night. Well, most nights._

_She was always getting hurt. She was weak and probably wouldn't make it without him there to clean up every mess she made anyway. Her life was a wreck. Her own family wanted nothing to do with her simply because she chose to be with him. That wasn't his fault and it wasn't hers. So the fact that she always cried about missing her family infuriated him. He was the only family she needed._

_Her voice was driving him to the edge of what little restraint he had left. The alcohol was still flowing rampant through his veins and with another accusation leaving the woman he was 'in love' withs mouth, he snapped. Before she knew what was happening, he was on top of her. A pain like fire began engulfing her body and she realized he was punching her over and over from her jaw to her ribs and stomach_.

**XxX**

"Lucy-chan, we're back!" The overly excited voice of a hyper raven haired boy broke her concentration. Silently thanking them for bringing her from her dark thoughts, she put her book away and patted the spots next to her.

"Look at Fro's hat and shiny badge!" The lively exceed was so wound up that he was flying in circles above her head holding out a star shaped badge and pointing to a blue and white striped hat.

"Yea I got one too look!" Rogue proudly heals up his own star shaped badge and hat.

"Me too see!" Isaac wasn't one to be left out so he shoved his hat and badge in Lucy's face to make sure she saw that, he too got the precious items.

"Did you guys have fun?"

"YES!" They yelled in unison. Lucy just giggled at them and waited for the oncoming information overkill.

"We got to blow the whistle!" Fro screeched in his high pitched voice.

"And we got to drive the train!" Isaac added equally as excited.

"They even showed us the engine and animal cargo cabin!" Rogue cheered.

As the three continued chatting about their pleasant trip around the train Lucy couldn't help but smile. The memories she had drawn upon to write left her mind and she realized without a doubt that she would never have to worry about something like that with them around.

Rogue was attached to her at the hip. Even in that moment, he had only been gone for an hour and he was already clinging to her shirt like he would fly away if he let go. Isaac wasn't much different except while Rogue was to her right, he was to her left. Frosch was too busy dreaming about the special fish dinner they were about to have to pay any mind to the three mages.

She giggled slightly to herself thinking about simpler times. Oh to be a child again. To be filled with wonder at the most simple of things. To be able to meet someone and become instant friends. Those were good times. It sucked that Rogue was stuck as a child but at the same time it was nice to know he would finally get to be a kid. If only for a little while, Lucy was determined to give both Rogue and Isaac a childhood they both desperately deserved. She wouldn't leave Isaac either. She already loved him like a son much like Frosch and her fondness for Rogue was only increasing with each flash of sincerity in his eyes.

This is gonna be a long few weeks.

**XxX**


	21. Day 2

Word count: 2,336

Hey monsters! Oneesama here with chapter 21. Im sorry I havent updated this week, it's been a very difficult few days for me. I actually haven't written anything this week either. I've been very depressed and just haven't felt the desire to do anything but sleep and paint. So that's what I did.

Thankfully I still have one more chapter ready for next upload. I am hoping to get a few chapters written in the next few days so I can do a double upload this week as well.

I recieved a few tags and private messages with challenges so I will most likely upload those in this book sometime soon.

If youd like you can check out some of my other stuff im working on. The Road to You is one that I haven't updated in a while because my beta hasn't responded but I have almost finished and ready to upload (editing myself). It is a Pokéfic and it's ikarishipping. I also have a bunch of one shots (unedited) and on wattpad I have a cookbook filled with anime/fandom inspired recipes.

Now then, this chapter was edited by the wonderful celestialprincess26 from FFN. So let's get on with the story!!!

XxX

"What did you do?!" Five minutes. Lucy had walked in the door only five minutes prior and Sting was already in her face, screaming like he had no sense at all.

"Baka!Ididn't doanything!" She placed her arms protectively in front of Rogue and Isaac and herded them behind her. The poor boys were so frightened by Sting's fury that they were shaking.

"Then why the hell is Rogue like this?!"

"I already told you! That psycho mage turned him into a kid! Now calm the hell down before I kick you!" Sting visibly winced at the memory of Lucy's infamous kick. He never wanted to be on the receiving end of that high heeled black boot again so he quickly calmed down and lowered his voice.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just worried about him. Is there any way we can fix it?"

"I'm not sure yet. Levy and Freed are already in Alexia doing research. I was hoping Rufus would also be willing to help." Sting perked up at Lucy's plan. He knew that with the four smartest mages in Fiore looking; if there was a way to fix Rogue, they'd find it.

"Freed will help. He'll be back in two days but I can contact him on his lacrima tonight. I'm sure he won't mind having something to do during their train ride home." Since he had finally calmed down, Sting finally noticed the young boy hiding behind Lucy and Rogue. "So who's the pipsqueak?"

"His name is Isaac. He'll be living with Rogue and I for now and he'll be joining your guild if that's ok." Reaching behind her, Lucy grabbed Isaac's hand and guided him in front of her. With a warm smile and reassuring nod, she sent him closer to the 'All Mighty Sting Eucliffe'.

"Well kid, what kinda magic do you use?" Lucy expected him to be afraid but instead, he raised his head high meeting his dark brown eyes with ocean blue.

"I'm a Shadow God Slayer Sting-dono." Sting looked genuinely impressed by that answer. All slayers of any kind were rare, but God Slayers were thought to be all but wiped out in Fiore, with the exception of Orga. He wanted this kid in the guild but he wanted to know what drove the child.

"Any why do you want to join my guild?"

"I..." The confused youth looked down. His dark hair covered his face. His shoulders shuddered and the smell of salt hit Stings nose.

Isaac was crying.

Without missing a beat, Lucy walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. Getting down on her knees so she was eye level with him, she consoled him in an almost motherly fashion and it was then that he realized what was going on.

"It's ok Isaac. Remember what I told you, you don't have to be afraid anymore." Lucy was gaining maternal instincts, she smelled more like Rogue each day, she could control his shadows like they were her own, and this child she's basically adopted looks like he could be their offspring.

Rogue imprinted on Blondie!

"I... I want to train under Orga-san... Sir. He's the only other God Slayer I know about. I, uh, I wanted to train under Rogue-san too since he's the master of shadows, but ... I guess I'll have to wait to ask him."

"Those are good reasons kid. What about your family? Are they ok with this?"

"Sting you baka!" Contrary to Lucy's belief, Sting knew exactly what he was asking. He knew this child had no one, he could just... tell. He wanted to see how honest the kid was because it would tell him a lot about how much help he would need adjusting.

The more he lied, the more trust he needed. If he didn't lie, the trust would be instant and his transition into the family would be much easier.

"It's ok... You see Sting-dono, my family was killed by the guild master of Elvish Fang when I was six. They took me and a bunch of other kids to some place and made us work in mines. Lucy promised to take care of me from now on so if she says it's ok then that's good enough for me!"

This kids not half bad. I think it's gonna work out just fine except..."You know she's not part of Sabertooth right?"

"I know." Knowing Sting was a dragon slayer, Isaac lowered his voice so Lucy couldn't hear him. "But I've got a year to change that. I'm not letting my new mom go."

"You know what kid?" Sting made sure to speak loudly. Drawing Lucy and Rogues' attention he decided formally. "I like you. I think you'll do just fine here and in three days, when Orga gets back... we can set up some sort of training schedule."

"Really?!" The delighted look on his face was priceless. Sting nodded and gave a lopsided toothy grin as he pulled out a magical stamp. "So where do you want your guild mark?"

XxX

"I don't wanna go shopping!" Isaac whined. He was dramatically dragging his feet as he walked a purposeful ten steps behind her. Rogue just shrugged and grabbed Lucy's hand and drug her into a dark themed clothes store called Jot Tonic.

"Go ahead and pick whatever you want boys. But be sure to try everything on to make sure it fits." Isaacs face went from bored to elated when he realized he could pick his own clothes. He had never had that freedom before and he was excited that his first chance was a free reign shopping spree. Thankfully he and Rogue had similar tastes when it came to style.

While Rogue preferred baggy, solid black, gothic style... Isaac favored tighter, black and neon, punk style. Both boys went their separate ways in the store leaving an amused Lucy to chat with the salesperson.

"Your kids are adorable!" The girl was beautiful. She had dark blue eyes and short tangerine hair that was pulled in a side pony tail. She had on a long pastel yellow sweater dress with black leggings and a red belt. She smiled brightly and watched Lucy's face turn thirty shades of red.

"Oh n-no they're notmykids. Well, I mean I guess now Isaac technically is but... I've neverhadkids, not yet anyway."

"It's ok. I didn't think you looked old enough to have a ten (?) year old." Kashmir joked.

"He's eleven, and no ... I'm definitely not old enough to have a son that age."Well I guess technically I am if you count the time gap but... I shouldn't get into that here.

"Brothers then?" Lucy could see why the woman would think so. Rogue had raven hair like Isaac but Lucy's brown eyes mixed with the dark hair created the illusion of some sort of blood relationship between the three.

"Actually, I'm a mage and I recently rescued the older boy. He's an orphan so I'm adopting him. The younger one though... He's actually my partner of sorts."

Kasumi looked confused but motioned for Lucy to explain more. She seemed interested so Lucy indulged her.

"He's been put under a spell and now he's trapped in a six year olds body."

"Oh wow!" She exclaimed. "That must be weird for you huh?"

"Very." Lucy sighed sadly thinking about how much she missed the Rogue she had become so comfortable with.

"So does he act... ya know... like a kid or..." Ah the question she was waiting for. The answer was fairly confusing because she wasn't one hundred percent sure herself.

"So far mostly, but it's hard to tell sometimes. As an adult he was a silent and mysterious man as a kid he's very much the same way. He seems very mature and at times I think it'sreallyhim but then other times he acts like a chipmunk on crack."

Kasumi snorted at that last comment and Lucy joined her in laughter. "Well..." She said wiping a tear from her eye, "if I had to guess, I'd say his mind switches randomly between a child and adult."

"That must be so confusing for him."

"Yeah, I'm planning on-" before Lucy could finish talking, an overly excited Rogue popped up and showed her a green and purple leopard print suit like his frog one.

"Lucy-chan look what I found!"

And child Rogue is back."What is it?"

"It's a new costume for Frosch!" He looked so proud of himself for finding the outfit that she giggled at his cuteness.

"I bet he'll love it."

"Can we get it?"

"Sure. Have you found yourself anything?"

"Yup! I'm all done!"

Looking through his messy bundle, she could tell he had followed her instructions and tried everything on. She began to sort through the pile of shirts, pants, capes, and other random items and set them on the counter where her new friend began scanning and bagging them.

"You made sure everything fit comfortably?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Alright, go find Isaac and see if he's ready to go."

The two ladies continued their conversation surprised at their quickly formed friendship. After a few minutes of chatting about everything from magic to cooking, two raven haired boys emerged with another pile of clothes and accessories. Laughing, Lucy handed Kasumi the last of the items and paid the hefty 572,000j tab. They exchanged lacrima info and made plans to get together in the future as Lucy led the boys out and towards the grocery store.

XxX

"Dear mamma, sorry it's been so long since I have written to you. It's been a wild few weeks. So things with Rogue have been... confusing I guess would be the best word to describe it. He's a perfect gentleman, he always holds the door, carries my bags, heck he even walks closer to the street when we're walking around town.

We've started to travel using his shadows almost all of the time and iI find the darkness comforting. Is that wrong? Sometimes, even if I'm alone, I can feel him watching me. But it doesn't make me afraid, it makes me feel safe. That's gotta be wrong ... Right?

Oh momma I'm so frustrated! When iI have my attacks and start having flashbacks, it's like he's the only thing that can calm me down. When I think of my upcoming trip to Fairy Tail I feel sad. I'll be going home for a few days to check in and the thought of being anywhere but Rogue's house makes me feel sick. This isn't my home so why do I feel like this?

It's strange mamma, after Future Rogue kidnapped me, after everything he did... Why is it I'm not afraid of him now? Is it because I know they're really two different people? Is it because of the way he protects me? Or maybe it's the way he treats me like I'm the only woman in the world. But now... How am I supposed to raise two children alone while trying to fix Rogue?!

Let me explain before you start freaking out momma...

We went on our first mission, Rogue and I that is. We defeated the bad guy but she managed to turn him into a child! I don't know what to do, not only that... I've basically adopted a little boy named Isaac. He was one of the kids Rogue and I saved but"

The sound of small sniffles broke Lucy from her thoughts. She saw that Rogue was standing in her doorway with an unpleasant look on his face. Folding up the unfinished letter, Lucy stuck it in her desk drawer and walked over to the sleepy six year old.

"Lucy-chan?"

"Why are you awake Rogue?" He yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes before grumpily responding.

"I had a bad dream and Isaac won't stop snoring." Lucy internally squealed at how cute he was. The poor thing looked exhausted and scared.

"Do you wanna sleep in here?" She decided it would be ok ... just this once. He was a child at the moment. She had noticed earlier than when he used honorifics, he was in his child mind, meaning right now... he just needed cuddles and a comfy bed.

"C-can I?"Kawaii!Lucy shrieked in her mind. The light blush on his cheeks showed how embarrassed he was as he inched his way toward her.

"Sure, come on!" She tucked him in and crawled in next to him. She pulled him into a tight hug and stroked his hair softly.

"Goodnight Rogue." He smiled contently and snuggled into her chest. A final yawn escaped his mouth and he whispered back.

"Goodnight Lucy-chan."

XxX


	22. Festival

Sunlight crept through the crack in the curtains, bathing our sleeping celestial mage in the golden hue of morning. Birds were singing their morning songs and the smell of coffee and cinnamon hit her nose. It was a delightful way to wake up until she remembered she was alone in a house with two small children who couldn't cook.

Scrambling from her bed, Lucy fell face first on the floor before getting up and rushing to the kitchen. Much to her confusion, Sting was sitting at the kitchen table with Rogue and Isaac. Yukino was walking out of the kitchen with a plate of sticky buns and the exceeds' were nowhere to be found.

"Lucy, you're awake!" Yukino expressed joyfully.

"Bout time Blondie, ya almost missed breakfast!" Sting was filling out some paperwork and looked up to greet the tired blond. She was happy to see him taking his guild duties seriously, but why weren't they at Yukino's house?

"I'm not a very good cook except when it comes to sticky buns! Mira-dono taught me last time I visited Magnolia." The white haired woman sat the plate of steaming sweet bread on the table causing everyone in the house to drool.

"They smell amazing. Would you like some help finishing breakfast?" Lucy wanted to hurry up and finish everything so they could eat. She was starving and breakfast was always welcome in her opinion.

"Sure I was thinking potatoes eggs and meat."

"I want hash browns and scrambled eggs with cheese ple~ase!" Isaac called from the couch. He was so engrossed in his show that he didntdidn't look at her when he talked but he made sure to let her know what he wanted.

"May I have egg whites only with spinach please?" Unlike Isaac, Rogue turned to face Lucy and bowed after requesting his healthier meal.

"Oi, make sausageandbacon!" Of course Sting would demand they make two meats instead of asking nicely for extra food. It's not like Lucy wasn't going to make both anyway. Three male slayers needed alotof food.

Sting reached to grab one of the delectable sugary buns but was slapped away by his on again girlfriend Yukino.

"Since you want us to cook so much extra you can wait for it to be finished and eat with the rest of us."

"Hmpf. Fine."

Lucy spent the next forty five minutes showing Yukino how to make a perfect 'mans' breakfast. She showed the ivory haired girl how to peel potatoes without cutting herself along with how to shred them using a cheese grater. She made sure to emphasize how important ringing, draining, and patting the potatoes dry was before cooking.

Lucy showed Yukino how to make the perfect fluffy batter for pancakes and they made both banana and strawberry toppings for them. After that she showed her younger sister how to separate egg whites from the yolks so they could prepare each person's eggs to their liking.

She also taught her one of her favorite tricks. Since dragon slayers eat so much, she had long since formed a habit of buying in bulk. Instead of cooking bacon on the stove, she can cook up to one hundred and twenty slices in her oven at one time. All you had to do was line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, lie each slice of bacon flat and bake at three hundred and fifty for ten to twelve minutes. Yukino took note knowing this trick would be beyond useful in the future when she cooked for Sting.

After they finished the last pieces of sausage, they walked to the table and began setting out platters for everyone to choose from. Rogue, Sting, and Isaac rushed to the table much to the girls' amusement.

"Finally! I thought I was gonna die!" As if on cue, Stings theatrics killed the happy mood. So Yukino took it upon herself to correct him. Unfortunately, that only started a shouting match.

"You're so dramatic Sting-kun."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am-"

"So~," Lucy cut in hoping to stop the stupid argument that was about to happen. Luckily it worked and they both turned to her with a look that saidwhat.

"You two didn't say why you're here. I mean not that I mind... I was just curious."

"We figured you'd be tired after everything. You looked pretty beat up yesterday, plus..." Yukino stopped and looked at Sting who turned to Lucy and finished. "You didn't show up for our lesson at the guild this morning."

"Eek what time evenisit?! Gomen'nasai Sting! I forgot and-" Sting ruffled her hair and chuckled lightly.

"Don't worry bout it Blondie. When we got here everyone was still asleep so Yukino decided to make breakfast for you guys."

Said woman stepped forward and placed her hand on the young master's shoulder.

"Sting-kun and I talked last night and we decided until everything is back to normal,no more lessons."

"Eh? But what about the guild?" Different scenarios of Sabertooth being destroyed through various preventable errors played in her head. Almost like he was reading her thoughts, Sting playfully punched her shoulder and added.

"You've taught me a lot already Blondie. Give yourself some credit, the guild won't fall apart if you take some time off."

"I guess..."

"It's settled then!" Yukino exclaimed. She looked over to Isaac and Rogue who were finishing up their plates. "So, do you guys want to go to a carnival today?"

Their eyes lit up with excitement. Lucy didn't realize the carnival was in town but she was glad Yukino brought it up. She could tell what their answer would be even before they both yelled in unison.

"YES!"

XxX

"So what do you guys want to do first?" Lucy asked happily. She was watching the two boys who were looking around in amazement. Their eyes sparkled at the sight of the colorful decorations and rides and their stomachs growled at the wonderful aroma of fried dough in the air. She turned and looked at Sting who was grumbling about how pissed he was.

"I can't do any of this crap, I don't even know why I came!" He stomped his foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum and pouted. Yukino looked close to tears. She obviously wanted the day to be a fun one for everyone and her jerk of a boyfriend was already acting up.

"Oh I'm sorry Sting, here..." Lucy quickly said. She pulled out one of her golden keys and began her chant. "Open, gate of the twins: Gemini!"

"Pre~pre!" In a puff of light cerulean smoke, two little gremlins appeared. They looked like small blue aliens to anyone who was unfamiliar with them. Lucy smiled brightly at her spirits and welcomed them with a pat on the head.

"Hey guys! Can you please turn into Wendy and cast Troia on Sting?"

"Pre!" In another poof of blue smoke, the two blue humanoids turned into a perfect replica of a 12 year old Wendy Marvel. Gemini chose Wendy's younger self because her Troia spell was stronger before she hit puberty, unfortunately for the sky maiden herself.

Gemini-Wendy placed her hands over Sting's temples and chanted something in an ancient language. Her hands glowed a deep cobalt blue and after a moment she stopped and smiled. "Pre~ anything else pre~?"

"No that'll be everything, thank you Gemini." With a smile and a bow, Lucy and her spirit said their goodbyes and the mages were left alone once again.

"So what's Troia?" Yukino asked with a tilt of her head.

"It's a spell that gets rid of motion sickness." Lucy explained. She giggled at the excited gasp she heard coming from Sting and turned to face him. "It usually lasts quite a few hours so you should be good all afternoon."

"Cool!" All traces of grumpiness were gone and the group was left with an over enthusiastic childlike leader. "Let's go on the Death Drop!"

"Uh no." Both girls sweat dropped, almost as dramatically as Sting's prior tantrum.

"How about we go on the Tilt-A-Whirl first Sting-kun?" Yukino grabbed the blond by his arm and gave him her signature puppy dog eyes.

"Can we go on the Spider Spinner?" Isaac asked excitedly.

"That does sound fun..." Rogue quietly agreed.

"Ok boys." Lucy turned to her two friends to find them holding hands, whispering, and blushing so she knew they wouldn't have an issue with her plan. "Yukino, I'll meet with you and Sting at the snack bar in two hours. You guys go have a date! The boys and I are gonna go have some fun!"

"Ok Lucy!"

"See ya later blondie!"

"Bye guys! Ok boys let's..." She turned back to where the boys were to find they had already run off to get in line for the ride. She sighed in an amused manner and headed off to catch up to them.

XxX

"So what's next guys?" It had been a little more than two hours and the group had met back up for a quick snack at the food court. Well, Lucy and Yukino had a few small snacks. The boys, including Sting, went through almost everything the food court had to offer. Lucy giggled at them and turned to Yukino to answer her.

"Well the boys wanted to go on a few rides that are a bit... much for me. You wanna go with them Sting?" She turned to the now satisfied slayer and laughed at him. He had bright pink cotton candy stuck in his hair and was struggling to get it out. He stopped and completely forgot about it when he heard her question.

"Hell ya! This Troia thing is awesome, I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid!" Yukino laughed loudly at his smiling face. She was so happy to see Sting acting like a kid. To others it may have been annoying but to her it was proof that he knew how to have fun without causing trouble.

Sting didn't have much of a childhood growing up so it filled her heart with joy to see him be able to finally have one. She turned to the other blonde when she heard her mention shopping.

"Yukino you wanna go check out the vendors while they go play?"

"Obviously." She joked. Shoppingwasher favorite pastime after all so of course she would want to hit up vendors for limited edition merchandise. She was going to ask when they should meet back up when she realized the boys had already taken off towards the Death Drop and Sting was following close behind.

"Be back by six!" Lucy yelled at the retreating slayers knowing they could hear her even in the crowd. Yukino walked up to her and they linked arms walking in the opposite direction. "Let's go shopping!"

XxX


	23. Training

Hey monsters! Long time no see right! *rubs neck in embarrassment*

I'm so sorry I took forever to update this. To be honest after I got the whole 'someone stole my book' thing, I just kind of lost inspiration for this story. My computer died and all of my chapters for this book i had written and ready to send to my Beta were unrecoverable.

To be honest, I forgot what the original was or where the plot was heading so I just kinda gave up on it fir a while.

BUT...

I got a new computer (yay for my hubby who got me an early birthday gift!) With multiple writing and art software installed. So I decided to give this book another shot!

I honestly need to reread it and try to decide what to do with it. But for now I've plotted out the rest of this story Arc and should have it finished in the next few weeks.

Now for the schedule...

I know a lot of you are following Say I Love You, which is updated every Friday. My goal is to update THIS story every Tuesday.

If you follow my cookbook Otakus Kitchen, you'll start seeing updates on Sundays!

Last note: I am going to TRY to make this an interactive story like SILY. So I'm going to start posting options for y'all to choose which direction the story goes!

Okay I'm done now. Sorry for the LONG AN...

Now, onto the story!

XxX

It had been a hectic night. After Yukino and I returned from shopping, we found the three slayers and two exceeds hyped up on sugar and soda. They were each rampaging the poor festival in their own ways.

Sting was devouring everything to eat in sight. Isaac was using his magic to guide some arrows he was throwing at a target. He had a pile of prizes twice as tall as him and the poor game attendant had comical tears pouring from his eyes.

Rogue was enjoying a freak show of sorts' while the exceeds were trying their hardest to toss a ring into a bowl of water to win a goldfish.

It took nearly an hour to get them to leave and an additional two hours to round them into bed when they finally did manage to get them home. Both exceeds were putting their new fish in a tank to keep as pets while Isaac and Rogue struggled to bring the massive amount if prizes thry won inside.

Even Sting was acting like a child, arguing with them over who actually won the white stuffed dragon he was laying claim to. The scent was both hilarious and exhausting.

Not that either girl really minded. They knew that, much like themselves, the slayers hadn't had the best of childhoods. It made them happy to see the three of them making fun memories together. Besides, everyone deserved the chance to be a kid at least once. Didnt they?

Once the five rambunctious boys were finally asleep, Yukino and I took long showers and passed out. I woke up around nine feeling refreshed and content. I noticed Rogue and Frosch had snuck into my bed again. I guess his nightmares weren't getting better.

I ran my fingers through his thick ebony hair before slipping off the bed and covering both of their sleeping bodies with my blanket. I made quick work of dressing in a tight black vee neck long sleeved shirt with dark washed skinny jeans and brown leather ankle boots.

After that I made a lite breakfast and woke everyone up. It took a while but the seven of us made it to the guild by noon. Lector and Frosch were quick to go to the playroom Sting had built for the guilds children leaving the five mages alone.

"Welp, I got a lotta paperwork and shit to catch up on." Sting shrugged and began walking towards the staircase. I guess he figured he should actually do his guild master duitued without me having to remind him.

I was happy that he was slowly showing more maturity when it came to his guild master responsibilities. Yukino on the other hand didnt seem so thrilled about him leaving so suddenly. "What about us?!"

"Orga and Rufus should be back by now. " I cut in before an argument could start. Honesty, these two were much worse than children when it came to their outbursts. "Why dont you go help sting and I'll take the boys to train with Orga while I ask for Rufus' help."

Sting sent me a greatful smile and brightened at my suggestion. "Sounds good to me! Come on Yuki!" He grabbed her hand and began pulling her by the hand.

"Are you sure Lucy?" She called while allowing herself to be dragged up the steps towards the masters office.

"Positive. Go on, I can handle the kids from here." I gave her a wink knowing damn well they wouldn't be getting any work done. I didn't mind. I understood how much she loved the rambunctious guild leader. I longed to know the feeling myself again but now wasn't the time for that... For now, I needed to find Team Memory God. "Ok boys. You guys ready for training?"

XxX

"So you're saying that child is Rogue?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. When I returned to the guild thus morning i didn't expect Lucy to show up with two children. I definitely didnt ecoect her to ask Orga to train them and I woukfve bever imagined the smaller one was out mms very own Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"Yup. He doesn't just look like a child... He is a child. He has the mind and magical control of a six year old but he still houses his adult magical power, he just... doesn't remenber how to use it. He doesn't remember anyone except Sting." I could see the hurt flashing through her eyes and wondered if she knew why she was being affected so strongly.

"I'm sorry." I offered. She met me with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and sighed.

"It's okay, we just have to find a way to fix him. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"I'll try my best to be of assistance to you." I said honestly. I did hope to help because frankly, seeing Rogue in this state freaked me out a bit.

"Thank you Rufus. So I've already got Freed, Levy, and my spirit Croux looking into it. Grandpa croux is loking in the spirit realm archives and my guildmates are in at the Alexean Vaticans."

I was surprised she had already devised a plan and begun exucuting it. I expected her to be completely at a loss, hoping i would do her work for her. But it seemed she was very determined to make things right.

"I shall board a train first thing in the morning and meet them there. The vaticans would be the best place to search. I would go immediately but, I have a few prior engagements that can't be put off I must see too first. I apologize deeply."

"It's fine Rufus. One day won't make a huge difference in the long run. And besides," I watched as the stunning woman standing in front of me glanced at the two dark haired children with a loving gaze. She looked at them the way I imagined a proud mother would look at her offspring. She was simply glowing and I couldn't help but be a bit envious of the sweaty boys who held her affections.

"I think it's a good thing Rogue is like this. As long as its not permanent that is." She added the last part in quickly causing me to chuckle. Obviously she meant well but her wording could've been better.

"It's just, Rogue had a shitty childhood. You know? I just want him to have a chance to be a normal kid with happy memories. Even if it's just for a little while."

"And the other child?"

"He reminds me of me." I raised my brow at this. Not that anyone coukd tell because of my mask. I SAS confused by her statement once again and waited for her to elaborate.

"You see, when my mother died, things got bad. I ran away wgen I was fourteen because I couldn't take it. I've been alone all these years, just like him. He's so young but, he's already suffered so much."

I watched as a stray tear escaped her eye. She wiped it away quickly and continued speaking. "I promised him I would be his family and I domt intend on breaking that promise."

"I understand. I'm going to go ahead and tend to my affairs so i can leave as soon as possible."

"Okay. Here, link your lacrima to mine."

She held out a small crystal like object I recognized as a mini communication lacrima. I nodded and pulled my own communication lacrima and pumped a tiny bit of magic in it. She did the same and in a few seconds our devices were linked. We now had the ability to contact each other by simply picturing the others face while pouring magic into the device.

It was quite a handy item. We both put our crystals up and exchanged a friendly hug before i turned to leave. "I will contact you the moment I meet up with your friends."

"Thanks Rufus. Travel safe!"

"And safety be with you and your children as well."

XxX

"Don't try to control your shadows boys. Instead, try to feel them. Merge with them and let them flow with your body."

The two frustrated slayers sat crass legged on the ground with their hand me placed flat on their thighs. Their eyes were closed as they concentrated on their magic. Tendrils of black shadows whisper around them as the finally began to focus and channel their power instead of fighting it.

"Good, good. Can you feel it?" When both Isaac and Rogue nodded silently, orgs continued to whisper his teachings.

"That's awesome! Now picture the attack you want to use. Today we will work on shadows claw and your roars. Now imagine your magic as an extension of yourself. When you reach to claw someone, let your shadows be your weapon."

He left them to ponder that information for a few minutes. When he felt the boys minds were completely clear, he finally instructed them to open their eyes and take their respective places on the training ground.

"When you want to use your roar, you need to inhale deeply. Imagine a dark void and the pain you want to inflict on your opponent. Visualize a vacuum of shadows and allow it to expel from your body outward."

Stepping back from the field, Orga allowed Isaac and Rogue to imagine their attacks. He didnt expect much from them since they were children but he wanted to see what they could do. Rurning to rogue first he instructed him to attack a large enchanted tree.

Taking in a deep breath, Rogue did what Orga taught him. He visualised a tornado of shadows that would bring his enemies to their knees. He felt a tingling sensation in the back of his throat and without thinking, opened his mouth to force it out.

It felt almost like he was throwing up. But instead of stomach acid and food, a huge vortex of darkness materialized in front of him and engulfed the tree magical murkiness.

When he ran out of breath, Rogue finally ceased his attack only to be met by applause from both his trainer and classmate. "That was freakin awesome! I didnt expect you to get it your first try."

"I-I, I dont feel so good."

"You'll get used to it bud. It's not as bad once you get the hang of it. Right now, your body just has too much magical energy. Once we get you trained and fighting again, youll be fine."

"Can I try now?" Isaac jumped in front of Rogue who looked annoyed with himself. Orga decided to let the young dragon slayer ponder his words while he worked with his new protigee.

"Sure kiddo. Your magic is a bit different though. As a god slayer, you hold the power to pass judgment." Orga tried explaining. The boys brown eyes widened in both shock and excitement at the new revelation.

"I do?"

"Yup! So when you visualize your vortex, instead of focusing on shadows, focus on the punishment you want to give the bastard youre fighting!"

"I dont know..." Maybe punnishment wasnt the right word. The kid was a bit timid after all. Maybe Isaac was thinking Rogue meant to end their lives. That's absolutely NOT what he meant.

"You dont gotta kill em. Just hurt em." The seafoam haired man tried to elaborate. But it was to no avail because the kid obviously didnt want to do it.

"But, I dont want to hurt anyone."

Orga groaned and wiped his hand down his face. How could he get through to this kid. He had to learn to protect himself if he was going to be a mage if Sabertooth. Then an idea struck him. How do you piss off a slayer? Hurt the people they love. "What if they hurt Lucy?"

"What?" He whispered like he couldnt believe Orga would even think of such a thing not, not knowing much about Lucy's past.

"What if the person you're fighting, is someone who hurt Lucy, or took her away from you?"

Isaacs eyes widened at the thought and Rogue jumped into the discussion. "Why would someone do that?!" He questioned furiously.

"Listen, kids... Lucy is, well she's a really special woman. She's one of only five hundred celestial mages left in Earthland and she also happens to be the strongest of them all. She's the first human to ever visit the spirit realm, the only one in history able to summon the spirit king not once but two times. Her ancestor was the mother of dragon slayers and her family have been guardians of the heavens and dragons alike throughout history."

Both boys sat in silence. Staring in awe with wide eyes, they listened intently as Orga described the woman they had both come to see as someone they loved and would protect at all cost.

"If Lucy is gonna be your momisaac, and if you want to convince her st stay with us, then you need to understand something. She is a constant target. Not only for her magic but people just seem to become obcessed with her. She apparently gets kidnapped a lot and she's been beaten to a pulp more times than i can count. If you love her, you gotta learn to protect her."

With a nod of understanding, Isaac turned and faced the tree. Rogue backed up and began to do the same hoping for more controlled results.

Orga watched the two boys practice, focusing on the newest members mysterious blue shadows. Isaac closed his eyes and thought deeply. What if something happened to Lucy? There was nothing he could do at the moment if that were to happen. He knew that he wanted to keep her safe just like she promised to keep him safe. She Saud she would be his family. Family protects each other.

He opened his dark brown eyes and glared at the tree in front of him. He took in a deep breath and screamed out, "God Slayers ROAR!!"

A cyclone of perfect navy blue shadows erupted from his mouth. His roar sounded like a snaral and the look in his eyes sent shivers down Orgas spine.

The attack was twice as powerful as Rogues and even the enchanted tree was having difficulty holding up. Orga knew he would have to warn lucy and Sting. Isaac was obviously strong and had great potential. But he also held a lot of pain and fear.

Because he was a mage of the darkness, with all of his internal struggles, it would be all too easy for the more undesirable aspect of his magic to consume him. Then they would have a huge problem. A God Slayer consumed by dark magic would be a very dangerous thing.

Eventually the young boy ran out of steam and the attack ceased. Isaac looked over for approval which Orga gladly gave.

"That was amazing as well. I didnt realize you had so much potential. I look forward to being your tutor in the art of God Slaying."

"Thank you Orga-san! That, that means so much comimg from you!" Isaacs blue hair was covering his face as he bowed deeply. Maybe everything would be okay after all. Maybe he just really wanted to protect Lucy.

Either way, both boys were doing great and he wanted to keep it that way. Lucy and Yukino had left sometime earlier to go shopping for halloween, so he had plenty of time to teach them new moves and spells.

"Alright kids... Let me see your shadow claws!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey monsters! Oneesama back with chapter 24! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my FFN reader**

**mynameisshelby**

**It means a lot that my book makes you feel so many emotions! That's an amazing compliment for any writer!!!**

**I wanted to let everyone know, I now plan on making this book into a trilogy! We are about half way through the book now and I have the next two books plotted out already!**

**Anyway" enough chitchat... Onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

"I don't think it's a good idea Blondie." I was standing in Stings throne room... how obnoxious... I had been thinking of ways to give Rogue and Isaac as many happy memories as possible and one of those ideas was why i was here.

"Come on Sting! We haven't had a proper lesson in almost three weeks. I need to actually earn that outrageous amount of jewl I'm getting in a few days." It wasn't a lie. I planned on including the entire guild, well... mainly the kids. I also hadn't been doing anything to earn the generous amount of jewl I was set to receive the next day.

"Baka! You're taking care of my partner! That's more than worth-" I cut him off with a harsh glare. How dare he insinuate that I needed to be paid to care for Rogue!

"Rogue is the most well behaved child I've ever had the pleasure of caring for. He and Isaac are the ones who gave me the idea in the first place." I hoped my words resonated with him. I really wanted him to say yes. If he said no, I'd have to figure something else out.

"But still," he scratched his head and gave me a guilty look, "Halloween is in three days. That's not enough time to put a party for the entire guild together!"

"Sure it is!" I gave him my biggest puppy dog eyes, hoping to break his resolve. He scrunched his brows and sighed heavily. I knew I had won. "So we can do it?"

"Fine." He sounded amused despite the disgruntled look on his face. "Just... don't stress yourself out too much okay?" He finished with a wink.

I blushed and shoved him playfully, shooting him a wide smile. "I won't! Thanks Sting, this is going to be so much fun!"

**XxX**

(With Yukino and Minerva)

"So how are the boys enjoying their training?" Yukino was sipping on a blueberry smoothie and enjoying the blueberry pancakes Orga made her. I took a drink of my caramel iced coffee and dug into my banana pancakes.

"They seem to enjoy it. They've been challenging each other to soars a lot over the last few days, so I'd say they're learning a lot based on the moves I've seen."

"So what's the plan for today while you're kid free?" Minerva asked taking a drink of her hot tea and munching on peach pancakes.

"Well Sting agreed to my idea. So I wanted to ask if you guys would help me with a last minute project."

Both of them looked at me quizzically and I couldn't hide the giggle that escaped my lips. "What is it?" Minerva finally asked.

"Well I want to throw an annual Halloween party at the guild starting this year. We did something similar once back at Fairy Tail, but it's been years since we've done it"

"That sounds fun!" Yukino cheered. She took another huge bite of her pancakes and groaned at the delicious taste.

"And our master agreed to this?" Minerva was nearly finished her plate and she waa looking at me like she didn't believe me. I could understand why she would be confused. After all, my self proclaimed big brother had been overly concerned about my stress lately. He had made sure I had as little to do as possible. Although, I suspected he knew how much spending time with child Rogue meant to me, and he was just trying to make us both happy.

"Yup. So I was thinking we could do like a carnival of sorts." Both of their eyes grew wide and smiles lit up their faces. Obviously they liked my idea

"What do you have in mind?" Minerva asked excitedly.

"I'm thinking a few games, a costume contest, lots of sweets, and some door prizes!" My eyes sparkled as I imagined a buffet of Halloween themed foods and treats.

"What kind of games?" Yukino asked bringing me out of my daydream.

"Bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving, ring toss, balloon darts, and maybe poke a pumpkin." I answered without missing a beat.

"What's poke a pumpkin?" Minerva asked in a weird tone. Yukino started giggling at the name like a child and I just shook my head and laughed.

"You set up cups with pieces of candy and small toys in each cup, cover them with colored paper and table them to a board. Each kid chooses a cup, pokes it, and gets the prize inside."

"Darts and ring toss don't seem very Halloween-y." She continued. I wasn't sure if she was trying to help me keep to the theme or if she was trying to deter me ftom planning the party. Minerva was one of the best when it came to hiding her true intentions, only second to Rogue. It was always so hard to tell with her.

"Well for the ring toss I was thinking of setting up witches hats instead of rings. And for darts, I was thinking of setting up balloons with candy inside. We could do it like the pumpkin game but for older kids and adults."

Minerva seemed to accept that response and returned to finish her tea while Yukino took her place talking, much to my amusement. "Seems fun. We could make the pumpkin carving into a contest too."

"Good idea! So we need to get party supplies, food, and invite everyone in the guild." Minerva joined in. She finished her breakfast and pulled out a notepad and pen and began to jot down lists of things we'd need.

"Okay, I'll get the food. Minerva, you can take care of inviting everyone, and Yukino can get the game supllies!"

They both agreed to my plan and we spent the next half hour writing down a list of people to invite, focusing on mages with kids. We also made a grocery list and left Yukino free reign on decorating."Let's meet back at my apartment in two hours." Yukino announced as soon as we were done.

"How long until you pick the boys up?" Minerva asked me looking up at the clock. It was nearly one.

"They're having a sleepover with Rufus, Orga, and Sting tonight. Sting is gonna bring them home tomorrow."

A creepy grin pasted itself on Minerva's face and Yukino squealed in delight.

"Then we have all night!"

"Let's have our own sleepover!"

A warm smile spread across my face as I nodded in agreement. "Sounds good." It was nice knowing they wanted to do this with me. It really showed how much Minerva had changed and how close Yukino and I were becoming. It felt like we were a real family. I hadn't felt that in a while, it was nice. "I'll see you guys in a few hours!"

**XxX**

I had just finished picking up the last of the groceries I would need not only for the upcoming party, but for Rogues house as well. I felt my pocket vibrating which honestly scared me for a second. Until I remembered the mini communication lacrima in there. Digging it out, I stopped walking and sat on a bench.

I let my magic connect the call and immediately I saw Levys smiling face. "Lu-chan!"

"Levy! How are you?" She looked tired but relieved at the same time. The brightness in her eyes gave me hope that she was callimg with good news.

"I'm great Lu-chan." She said makimg her smile even bigger, I didn't think it was even possible. I giggled at her expression and realized it was pretty quiet for someone who was with two men.

"And Rufus?" The picture shifted to the left and I was relieved to see the smiling masked face of Rufus Lore.

"Right here Lucy-san." He said with a bow.

"I'm glad you made it safely. And Freed?" I still didn't see him so I was curious as to what happened to him.

"He's out buying our train tickets home." He's buying them tickets? That's either really good or really bad. Out of nervousness I started fidgiting my hands and bouncing my leg.

Still holding onto optimism, I asked the one thing I wanted to know at the moment. "Does that mean you found the cure already?"

"That's why I called. Now I need you to promise you'll hear me out before you freak." Her tone told me that what she was about to say was serious so I gave her my undecided attention.

"Okay..."

"There isn't a cure. But there is a time limit." Rufus stepped next to her and removed his hat while takimg the lead on the conversation. "While we can't reverse it we do know how it works."

"Basically, the stronger the mage casting the spell, the longer it lasts." Levy cut in. Rufus nodded in agreement with her before looking at me with a serious expression.

"You said this woman cast the spell and died immediately after correct?"

"Y-yes."

"Then my guess is it will wear off soon enough." He said letting out a sigh of relief.

"He's right Lu-chan. I say in the next week or two he should be back to normal." Her smile gave me hope again and I smiled in return. True, I enjoyed letting Rogue be a kid. I loved taking care of him and the feeling I got when he clung to me for safety. But the truth was, I was starting to miss grown-up Rogue. And I knew I wasn't the only one.

Frosch had been having a harder time than he let on according to Lector. Even though he and Rogue became fast friends, it still hurt the little exceed that the man who's pretty much his father is gone. Even if it is temporary.

Sting was terrified of this being a permenant thing, Minerva felt guilty for not having gone on the mission with us, even Orga was worried his only sane friend was lost forever. The only good things to come from this curse were how close it brought Sting and Yukino, in his distress he turned to her for the comfort she was all too willing to give. Not to mention the memories Rogue was making. I only hoped he would remember everything.

"Y-you think so?" I could feel myself tear up and I couldn't figure out why I had become so freaking emotional all of a sudden. Thankfully, Levy was ready with the perfect answer.

"Of course! We wouldn't be leaving if we thought there was a chance we were wrong."

Letting out a breath I sighed and smiled at her. "You're right. Thank you guys." I meant it. Levy and Freed had NO obligation to Rogue, yet they had dropped everything for two weeks, no questions asked to help him. It made my heart warm to know I had friends as great as them.

"We should be back by tomorrow."

"Great! That means you'll be back in time for the party!" I snapped remembering i had groceries I needed to take home. I was going to ask to call her later but Rufus interrupted before I could.

"You're having another party??"

"Yeah. We're having a Halloween carnival for all the Saber Cubs!" I clapped my hands together and smiled dreamily.

"Cubs?" Levy questioned. I just nodded. "Yeah. That's what I started calling all the kids at Sabertooth."

"I like it." Rufus cut in. I was glad he said that. I wanted the name to stick so that meant it needed to be catchy. As a senior member of Sabertooth, Rufus' opinion was important to me.

"Thanks Rufus! Levy, you should bring Wendy, Romeo, and Gajeel. Oh and Bisca, Azlac, and Asuka too."

I imagined inviting the kids from Fairy Tail would be fun too. Plus Isaac needed to get to know some of my guildmates too.

"Okay, I will. I can't wait to see you!"

"Me too! Rufus, I'll let Sting and Orga know you're on your way home." He smiled widely st the mention if the seafoam haired man's name.

"Thank you Lucy-san. I am quite looking forward to seeing Orga after all this time." I giggled knowing the unlikely pair were very much in love and that being away from his partner and best friend for two weeks was hard on him.

"It's been two weeks you weirdo!" Levy waked him on the head with a book and he snapped to face her with a smirk.

"Like you haven't been whining about Gajeel-dono nonstop yourself." He said triumphantly.

"I did not!" Her face was redder than Erzas hair causing both Rufus and my self to laugh hysterically.

"If memory serves me correctly, I recall you very much did." Levy tackled him and their playful banter turned into a brawl. Sweatdropping at their antics, I just shook my head and decided to end the call. I still needed to get the food to the house, meet up with the girls, and talk to Sting. Plus I needed to start cooking.

"Okay you guys, I'm gonna go talk to Sting. Tell Freed thank you and invite him and the Thunder Legion too."

"Will do Lu-chan!" Levy somehow shouted over her scuffle with Rufus.

"We'll see you soon Lucy-san." He did the same. I giggled to myself. Who would've expected the two to become such fast friends. "Stay safe guys! Bye."

Without waiting for another word, I disconnected the call and shoved the device back in my pocket. Picking up the ungodly amount of bags filled to the brim with food, I made my way to Rogues house while I tried to figure out how to tell Sting the good news.


	25. Parenting

**Hey monsters! Oneesama back with the newest chapter! Now originally this was going to be a funny chapter but I also wanted to include a rough day for Lucy. So by the time I finished this chapter it was well almost 3k words. So I split it in half and will post the fun chapter tomorrow!**

**Now for this chapter, I'd like to dedicate it to my FFN reader ingaomars! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!!!**

**Just fyi child Rogue will be leaving us soon as we move into the next story arc!**

**Now, enough chit chat...**

**Onto the story!!**

**XxX**

It was two days before Halloween and I had just got back to Rogues place with over a dozen pumpkins in various colors. I had left Isaac, Rogue, Sting, and the exceeds in Yukinos care and I had definitely made a mistake doing that.

When I walked in my eyes widened in horror at the state of the house. The living room looked like a war zone. Broken bits of what used to be couches littered the floor. While a glass coffee table wedged shattered in the wall. The video lacrima was cracked and even the cealing was covered in scorches.

Making my way through the maze of debris, I managed to get to the kitchen only to nearly pass out at the sight.

The fridge was wide open with a gallon of milk laying sideways, long since emptied onto the floor. The food was gone and the stove was covered with dirty and burned pots and pans.

There was what looked like spaghetti sauce splattered on the ceiling and raw fish heads and bones littered the floor. Setting the pumpkins on the cleanest spot I could find, I groaned and made my way upstairs where I could hear fighting and Yukino yelling.

Walking up the stairs was no better than walking downstairs. The once clean photos lay smashed on the floor and the ones that were left hanging were crooked and cracked.

The fighting got louder and I coukd hear the exceeds cheering whatever was going on. Yukino was pleading for everyone to calm down and I snapped.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Kicking the door from its hinges, because why the hell not, I pulled my whip from my hip and lashed it out one time causing a loud _crack_ to hit the floor. Sting, reconizing the sound haulted immediately and stood up straight.

"L-lucy... You're home?"

"Don't Lucy me! Just what is the meaning of this?!" I knew I was giving a glare to rival Erzas when all six of them stood at attention trembling under my gaze.

"Lucy, I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen. So did Frosch but sting said 'hes the master' and..."

"Yukino, take Frosch and go clean the kitchen." _Crack_ I lashed my whip again causing the three boys faves to pale. I'm sure if Lector didn't have for he would've paled too but the shaking I could see was enough to tell me my threat was working.

"A-are you sure?"

"Take Frosch, and go. Clean. The. Kitchen." I said every word deliberately turning my glare to her. Just because sting envoked his rights as master didnt mean she was off the hook.

I would deal with her later, but for now, I had three slayers and two exceeds to punish. Thankfully Yukino listened and rushed through the splintered remains of the door.

I turned to Sting first. "Explain yourself!" _Crack_ the whip lashed striking his foot causing him to talk before falling to his knees.

Bowing he started trying to rationalize ordering the kids to destroy the house. "The boys were training and... it might have gotten a little out of hand..."

"You think?!" _Crack crack crack_ I struck him over and over with my whip. He was crying out in pain while Isaac and Rogue hugged each other in fright. Rogue began to melt them into his shadow and I turned my glare back to them.

"SIT DOWN!" They both yelped and sat on the floor not wanting to test the furious celestial mage in front of them. _Good_ _choice_ I thought.

"Sting, as master of Sabertooth it is your responsibility to teach the kids how to use their powers in a _safe_ way! How **DARE** **YOU** use your title to enforce destruction! Have you lost your mind?!"

"Gomen'nasai Lucy-sensei! We were just having fun and then... It got out of control and I was gonna stop it, but then Rogue hit me with a shadow roar and..."

"I don't care Sting. You are the adult. You are the guild master. It's up to you to keep your guild members in line, children or not. How do you think this makes Yukino feel?"

His face fell and I could see realization wash over him as the magnitude of what he'd done set in. "I left her in charge of Isaac and Rogue hoping to get some errands taken care of. She promised me everything would be okay and because of you she broke her promise. Do you know how that makes a celestial mage _feel_? Our word is our bond, and you damaged that bond."

"I-I... I didn't think..." I cut him off before he could start blabbing some sort of stupid excuses.

"No, you didn't."

"Gomen'nasai Lucy, I-" he still wasnt getting it and it was pissing me off.

"Im not the one you need to apologize too. _She's_ downstairs. I swear Sting, sometimes it's like you wake-up looking for ways to fuck up your relationship with Yukino. Now go downstairs and help her clean the house. Take Lector with you."

He jerked his head to the left and saw his exceed passed out from fear and squeaked before scooping him up and running out of the room."Yes ma'am."

"You two." I turned my attention to the two cowering kids in the corner. My eyes softene but I knew they still held a hint of aggravation. Enough to keep them in line. Who would've thought all that time watching Erza punish Natsu and Gray would be useful one day?

"Y-yes ma'am?" Rogue was the first to speak up, shielding Isaacs shaking body with his own.

"Please don't hit us!" The bluenette screamed from behind the building wall of shadows. My heart broke hearing his words.

"W-what?" I remembered where we had saved him and grimmised as I realized he was provably abused physically for any minor infraction. With that thought fresh in my mind, I took a deep breath and calmed down completely.

I wasn't going to get anywhere by yelling. This kid needed positive reinforcement. I could do that. " Im not going to hit you. Why would you think that?"

"Its just, we ruined everything, and you... you're scary." I didn't mean to scare him. Well maybe I did, but I didnt mean to do... _this_...

"Oh Isaac, I'm sorry. Rogue you too." I pulled them both into a hug and rubbed their heads with my hands. "I would never hit either of you. You're my boys and I love you. But I am disappointed and angry with you right now."

"How can we make it right?" Rogue asked letting his shadows down and squeezing me back.

"I need you both to apologize to Yukino. I left her in charge of you and you disrespected her authority by ignoring what she told you. You will also apologize to Frosch for tearimg his costume. You will clean this house and because you destroyed the furniture, you will be takimg job requests with Orga during training time to pay to replace everything. Any questions?"

"No ma'am." They said together. I smiled warmly as I felt both of their small arms grip me tighter.

"We're sorry Lucy-chan." Rogue said solemnly. Burying his face in my chest.

"Yeah, I'm sorry oka-san." My heart melted. _He called me mom! I thought excitedly._

"It's okay. I forgive you. You need to make things right with Yukino and Frosch and replace what you broke and then everything will be fine."

"Okay." They said in unison. With one final squeeze I led them both down the stairs where we spent the next few hours cleaning up.


	26. memories

**Hey monsters! Oneesama back with today's chapter!!!**

**So I don't really like how the chapter ends but i honestly couldnt think of anything else to put. I decided to make this more informational.**

**Most people celebrate Halloween but don't know why. In this chapter I somewhat explain where halloween came from. I also included a bit of dia de los muertes because, shout out to my native heritage!**

**Anyway. I hope y'all like this chapter. There's only about one or two more chapters before Rogue returns to normal and then we can finally get some RoLu action!**

**Anyway... This chapter is dedicated to AiraXuemen**

**tion a user**

**Thanks for keepimg me going with your support on all of my books! I'm so glad I met you!!!**

**Now, enough chit chat, onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

"So now that the house is back in order, I brought stuff for us to do today!" It was around four by the time we managed to get the house looking decent.

The boys had apologized to Yukino and called Orga from my lacrima to ask him to choose jobs for them. After explaining the situation, Orga promised intense training as well as jobs as punnishment for disobeying Yukino.

I agreed with him and we had everything set for them to work for three days a week for four weeks. Now that everything was setteled we coukd have fun like I planned.

"Oooh what are we doin Lucy?" Sting was excited as usual and i giggled at his hyperness.

"Are we carving pumpkins?" Yukino asked eying the Ford's I was laying out.

"Why would we carve pumpkins?" Isaac asked genuinely confused.

"It could be fun." Rogue cut in with a skeptical look. I sighed and realized i was with kids who didnt know how to be kids. Shaking my head I just continued laying the things we'd need out and smiled sweetly.

"Yes we're carving pumpkins. We do it to ward away evil spirits."

"What do you mean?" Yukino asked. I was surprised for a moment that she didn't already know, then I remembered she didn't grow up learning about her magic like I did so I decided to teach everyone while we had fun. Who says you can only learn in school?

"Do you all know why we celebrate Samhain?" When they all shook their head no I smiled and motioned for them to sit down. I passed out knives and gloves along with ice cream scoops and grabbed a pale peach colored pumpkin.

"Samhain is a very special time for mages of other realms." I started with a soft voice." From October 31st to November 1st, the barriers between the physical world and the spirit world break down, allowing more interaction between humans and denizens of the Otherworld."

I began passing out different gordes of all shapes and colors around to each of them. Frosch chorose a bright orange flattened one while Lector choose a light orange and grabbed some paint.

Sting grabbed the biggest oval shaped pumpkin he could and the white paint, while Yukino grabbed one with a curled stem. Rogue chose a white gord with a black stem and grabbed the black paint. Leaving Isaac to grab a brownish one with a white stem. I started showing them how to hollow out the pumpkin while saving the seeds and pulp for later use as I continued explaining the upcoming holiday.

"Samhain is the most significant of the four quarterly fire festivals, taking place at the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice."

"Why is it so important?" Sting asked seriously. I was pleased to see all of them were listening intently to my story and so I quickly continued.

"Because the veil between worlds is so thin at this time. It is customary to leave offerings for the spirits that choose to pass through the barrier, we'll make those later. We also leave warnings to would be malicious spirits who wish to bring negative energy in our home. The jack o lanterns act as guardians until the veil closes."

"That's amazing. Why didnt I know any of this?" Yukino asked shocked. I could understand why she felt confused. I couldnt imagine not knowing about Samhain.

"I was born into a long line of celestial mages. I grew up learning about everything having to do with the spirit world. Although the original meaning has been lost, people still celebrate. This is the time of year where we harvest our crops and prepare for the dark half of the year. We celebrate a successful harvest and welcome the winter with open arms. It's truly a wonderful time and I'm more than glad to teach you about it."

We shared a smile before sting interrupted. I couldnt be mad though because he asked a valid question.

"Well what's up with the costumes then? And what kind of offerings are you talkin about?"

Looking him in the eyes I asked, "Remember how I said spirits visit?"

"Yeah." He nodded eagerly. I was excited to see his joy in learning about the spirits holiday. It was something he and yukino could learn about her together. I motioned for her to continue her pumpkin while I continued explaining the part I thought everyone might like."That includes the spirits of people we love."

"What?" Sting and Rogue yelled in unison, obviously thinking of their fathers.

"No way!" Isaac whispered in surprise. I smiled at the group and kept talking.

"Yup. That's where the offerings come in. You set up altars with candles, pictures, food, and something that meant a lot to them. If you want to call a celestial spirit or guardian spirit like a dragon, you'd need something that represents them."

They all seemed to understand my explination somewhat but yukino was the one to ask for more details. "Why do you build them though?"

"To attract their spirit." At their questioning looks I giggled and passed the bowl around for them to put their pumpkin insides in. I would make pie mix and roasted seeds later.

"Just because they can come to Earthland doesn't mean they will. They need to be attracted here if you want to see them." Understanding spread across their faces and sting began to fiddle with his earring while Rogue hugged on his necklace that for some reason I had never noticed before.

"What about the costumes?" Frosch asked. _The cosplaying cat would be the most interested in costumes_ I giggled to myself.

"Originally the idea was to dress up as something scary to ward off any evil spirits that may try to bring you harm." They all nodded and Lector asked, "but it doesnt _have_ to be scary?"

"No sweetie, it doesn't." Sting looked between Yukino and me with adoration in his eyes. "I'm glad I let you do this party Lucy. I never realised the fall festival was so important."

"It is. To me anyway, that's why I'm hoping this party goes well. Then we can make it an annual thing!" Yukino and sting lit up at my comment and I couldn't understand what I said that got them so excited.

"If you promise to organize it every year we'll gladly keep it going!" I watched sting and Yukino share an excited smile when I agreed with him, but I didnt question it. Instead I started handing out candles for every one to put in their pumpkins now that they were carved.

We all set the candles inside and everyone watched in wonder as I turned out the lights so we could all admire our work.

Frosch had carved his pumpkin sideways and made a kawaii fishy. It was very Fro.

Rogue and Sting had both used their fathers for inspiration and created amazingly designed dragon-lanters. Sting had painted his white while Rogue painted his black. It matched their carvings and, honestly I didn't think either of them were capable of such detail.

I looked over at mine and Yukino pumpkins and admired how pretty and fluid they were. She created a spooky haunted tree while I reflected the present moon and stars I loved so much.

Finally we looked at Lector and Isaacs pumpkins. They had stuck with Froshs ocean theme and created simple but cute carvings. Isaac had painted his pumpkin red and carved a crab out. While electors was painted grey and had fish bones carved into it.

I rubbed my finger over Cancers key and waited as he appeared with the masterpiece he had been working on for days. In a sparkle of red glitter, he showed up with a pumpkin as big as Orga inside.

"Ebi, I finished the carving. I infused it with my special hair tonic, yeah! So it shouldn't wilt for weeks ebi." He bowed and placed the giant pumpkin on the floor. Everyone's eyes grew wide at our surprises. I hoped they liked it.

"Blondie, this is fuckin awesome!" Sting blurted out before being knocked on the head by Yukino. "Language!"

"Sorry." He said sheepishly. I giggled and looked at the masterpiece. It was a six foot tall lifelike carving of a sabertooth tiger. I wanted to be a photo op for all of the guild members. I was glad everyone loved it as much as I did.

Now that we were done carving pumpkins, we began work on our altars and finished picking out costumes well into the night.


	27. Halloween

**Hey monsters!! Three updates in one day??? Well I had a lot of ideas last night so why the hell not?!**

**So this chapter is dedicated to my FFN reader**

**XxStellarsLostxX**

**Thank you for voting in my poll! I like the reasoning you gave behind your choice and I appreciate your input!**

**Now this chapters a bit shorter but it leads into the end of the child Rogue arc.**

**This will be the last update this week, tune in next week on Tuesday for the next chapter!**

**And if you have time, check out my pokemon fanfiction**

**Say I Love You**

**Updated every Friday!!!**

**Note: I am taking submissions for job requests for this fanfiction! If you have one, leave it below in the comments!**

**So without any more blabbering from me, let's get on with the story!!!**

**xxx**

I haven't seen Lucy all day, where is she?" Sting wined to Yukino, the party in full swing. Many of Fairy Tails members had arrived early in the day, starting the party earlier than anticipated.

Canna was already drinking, challenging everyone around her to a contest. She was wearing a fortune tellers outfit and charging a bottle of sake for readings with her cards. Mira, Kinana an a Rufus wore servants costumes and helped their 'master' Orga serve drinks from the bar.

Lucy still hadn't shown up yet but Sting shook his head and smiled. _She wouldn't miss her first party._ He whipped his head when he suddenly heard the doors open. There she was, his best friend and brother in hand with his new nephew in the other.

She was wearing a beautiful floor length see through skirt with a bikini style top that had golden chains hanging loosely against her body. On her bsck were translucent fairy wings and on her head was a crown of glittering star shaped gemstones. She looked like a fairy from another world. _Fitting_. He thought.

He looked over to his brother and nephew who were dressed in an even more gothic outfit than usual. They wore matching outfits consisting of a new Cape with a high pointed collar and gold trimmings to match Lucy's. They had red and blue silk vests and fangs implanted into their teeth. _I guess they're vampires._

The three of them walked over to me and Yukino and after a round of hugs, she told the boys to go enjoy the game booths and me and yukino followed her to a table where Gajeel and his woman sat.

"Lucy-chan! Gajeel! I'm glad you came!" Lucy gave them both a big hug before she sat down. Yukino and Sting followed suit and soon, Kinana was taking everyone's drink orders.

Lucy got a blue Hawaiian slush, Yukino got a spiked tea, Levy got electric lemons is, while Sting and Gajeel setteled for imported beer. After everyone placed their order and Kinana left, Gajeel asked Levy for some iron. He munched happily on his treat when he turned his attention to Lucy. "Oi bunny gurl, where's Ryos?"

" He's with the other kids playing games." She said quickly pointing to a booth with darts and balloons.

"So he's still stuck in his child form?" Levy asked with sympathetic eyes. She knew being around Rogue was hard. She could only imagine what being responsible for his well being was doing to her.

"Yeah. I hope he changes back soon. Him Isaac and sting together is just awful." Lucy said dramatically shooting sting a glare.

"Hey!" The blond guild master tried to defend himself but was immediately shot down by Yukino."Shut up Sting. You know she's right."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." He grumbled.

"Does my little brother need to be punished? If be happy to help. Teehee." Gajeel asked with his weird laugh. Lucy just shook her head and laughed at his offer, thinking of how much he sounded like Virgo.

"Lucy's got it under control." Everyone turned to face the new voice. Their giant seafoam haired friend had appears with a tray of drinks and Lucy tapped his arm lovingly.

"Thanks Orga. But honestly you're a huge help."

"Hey you make the rules, I just enforce em." He said with a booming laugh. He was right though. In the few weeks Lucy had been at Sabertooth, she had made a name for herself. Everyone loved her and everyone respected her. What Lucy said went and the guild was becoming better and better every day because of it.

Everyone shared a good laugh before Orga left to go serve some more drinks. "Seriously though Lu-chan, are you doing okay with everything?"

Levy asked concerned for her best friends mental well being. If only she knew how much Lucy's feelings had changed. "I am. Everyone here is really nice, I like it here."

"That's good..." She answered hesitantly. She asked her next question as if she was scared of the answer. " When are you coming home?"

Lucy gave her a guilty smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know yet. The program lasts a year but I can extend it if I want."

"Are you going to?" Levy sounded worried. Sting and Yukino were listening intently knowing their plan was working when she responded in a whisper.

"I don't know."

The two best friends continued their conversation when the guild went silent. Isaac started screaming and Lucy was up faster than anyone had ever seen. It looked like she used teleportation magic as fast as she made it to Rogues side but everyone knew it was just her protective instincts kicking in.

"What happened?!" Rogue was laying on a ball on the floor with tears running down his face. His body was pulsating with an eery violet color that she seemed to recognize.

"Isaac, stay with Orga and Rufus tonight. I need to take Rogue home." She shot the men a questioning glance and smiled in relief when they agreed to keep the boy.

Carefully, Lucy placed her hand under rogues head while she put her other under his legs. She hoisted him from the ground, cradeling his body close to hers and ran out of the guild towards their home.


	28. Back to Normal

**Hey monsters!!! Oneesama here with chapter 28!**

**I sure did upload a lot this week lol.**

**Well I guess it'll make up for slow updates in the future. With my kids birthdays, my birthday, work, and the holidays... Im thinking I may have to start updating bi weekly instead of weekly.**

**But not yet! I'll let you know before I do that!!! Anyway... This chapter is more of a filler to close off the 'Rogue is a kid' arc.**

**I hope y'all like how I ended this part. Now that Rogue is back, he has a lot to make up for...**

**Will we finally get some RoLu fluff???**

**You'll have to keep reading to find out!!! So enough talk...**

**Onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

* * *

I watched in horror as rogue struggled against the foregin magic in his body. He was thrashing in my bed in his sleep and I struggled to figure out what to do. An idea struck me when I figured what this might be so I called out gramps Croix for help.

"What is happening to him?" I begged before the smoke even had a chance to clear. My intelligent spirit understood my distress and calmly began speaking to me. "It would seem the spell is breaking princess."

His words reassured me but Rogues sleepless cries made me worry still.

"But why is it hurting him?" I didnt know if it was because he was a child or because of other reasons, but seeing him cry out in pain like that broke my heart.

Croix seemed to understand my worry because he didn't sugar coat what he said next. "He's fighting it. He's trying too hard to regain his adult form and the magic is trying to maintain control."

The way he said it made me think Rogue wasnt ready for the spell to wear off, but he was forcing it with his own Shadow magic. That battle was causing him pain and all I wanted to do was take that pain away from him. "What can I do?"

"Soothe him. Get him relaxed and let him sleep. This could take a while and the more relaxed he is the easier it will be on him. "

I nodded my head in understanding. Before letting out a sigh of relief. _He's going to be fine. It's ROGUE for crying out loud. _With that thought fresh in my mind i smiled at him before excusing him back to the celestial realm.

"Okay. Thanks grandpa Croix."

With a poof of smoke he vanished leaving me alone with Rogue. Deciding to take my spirits advice and try to comfort the aching dragon, I crawled into bed with him and pulled him close.

Laying his head on my chest I began to stroke his hair while humming a soft tune. His thrashing turned to quiet whimpers before he finally dozed into a heavy sleep. Eventually, my eyes grew heavy as well and against my better judgement, I let sleep take over.

**XxX**

* * *

_Fuck my head hurts_. I didn't open my eyes when I woke up. The pounding in my skull wouldn't allow it. _What happened?_ The last thing I remembered was fighting that vile woman and trying to protect Lucy. _Lucy!_

I tried to sit up when I realized I needed to find her but a familiar scent stopped me. I carefully peeled my eyes open and saw the most heavinly image I could ever imagine.

Lucy was laying on her back, her hair sprawled about her pillow like a glittery golden fire. My head was resting on her ample chest and her hand was burried in my hair. Her face was turned towards mine and I could see how exhausted she looked.

She looked unharmed though, so I assumed our mission was a success. I gently pulled her hand from my hair, not that I wanted too, and rolled off the bed. It was then I noticed we were in her room and I was wearing tattered remains of tiny clothes.

In an embarassed panic I ran to my room to dress properly. In my haste I didnt notice the golden gate of Loke appear begind me. But when he cleared his throat I nearly attacked him.

"Back to normal finally?"

The leader of the zodiac asked in a snarky voice. His wild orange hair looked longer and he had a new pale blue suit. I growled at him simply because he got on my nerves before asking the obvious question.

"What are you talking about?"

Sighing, Loke pulled out a photo album and handed it to me. Looking at him curiously, he just motioned for me to open it. I did, and when I saw what was inside, my eyes widened before watering.

Ignoring the shame I felt, I allowed the tears to run down my face as I looked over memories that were foreign to me.

"Wh-what is this?"

I whispered. I was surprised he heard me but his voice softened into almost a purr. Strangely, it was very comforting. I guess it came with being a neko.

"That is what my mistress has been dealing with for nearly a month. You dont remember any of it do you?"

I flipped through the pagesof the photo album. I stopped at a particular page and took it in. There were four photos on the page. In the center photo, Lucy was dressed in a stunning two piece fairy costume, making her look like a goddess amongst beasts.

To her left was a young boy with blue hair and a tattoo on his face. He was holding Lector and Sting stood behind him with one hand on his shoulder and the other hand around Yukino waist. Sting and Yukino were in matching Adam and Eve costumes while Lector was dressed as a snake holding an apple.

I saw myself at Lucy's right but it wasnt me as I am, it was me as a six year old child. I was holding onto her waist tightly with a huge smile on my face. I had a matching outfit to the boy on her left, we were dressed as vampires. Frosch was on her head wearing a purple bunny suit and behind us stood Orga and Rufus who were dressed as a Master and a Servant.

The top left was a picture of me and the young boy and Sting on a dollar coaster. Screaming smiles were etched on our faces and memories began to flash through my mind.

"_I don't even know why I came!"_

_"Sting, why don't you take Isaac and Rogue on the rollar coaster?"__"You guys meet us here at six, we're going shopping!"_

I looked at the next image and saw Lucy and Yukino laughing while Sting lain half buried in the dirt. Isaac was laying on the ground laughing while my child self stood glaring at him.

_"No matter how much you train I'm still stringer than you! That's why I'm the master."__"Even as a grown up you're an idiot."__"I'll show you!"__"Haha Sting, you got beat by a kid!"_

Looking at the last picture my heart skipped a beat. It was night time and I was sitting on a tree branch staring at the stars in awe. Lucy was looking at me fondly and I dropped the book as my mind was overrun with flashbacks.

_"I promise I'll take care of you."__"We're your family now Isaac, right Rogue?"__"You will work to replace what you destroyed."__"You two are my boys and I love you_."

"Do you remember now?" Loke questioned as he picked the book up off the floor and dusted it off. He didnt look angry, more like disappointed. For some reason it made me feel guilty.

I shook my head in confusion wondering just what could've happened, when I started getting flashbacks. "I ... was a child and Lucy..."

"Lucy took care of you." He filled in. His voice was laced with sympathy and I couldnt stop the helplessness feeling flowing through my veins and it seemed Loke felt my pain. " She did everything she could to help you make good memories as a child so that you wouldn't be so sad anymore. Did it work? Do you feel any different?"

I wanted to tell him I felt like a new man but that would be lying, and that wasn't something I was comfortable with doing. "I, don't know. I feel like... like I'm closer to everyone. Orga, Rufus, Sting, this child..." A vision of a crying Yukino and furious Lucy entered my mind and I paled, "Oh Gods! I owe Yukino a proper apology!"

"Hehe so you remembered that huh?" He said with a smirk. He looked like he would tease me but then his face turned serious. "No worries, Christmas is coming up. I'm sure you can make it up to both of my princesses later." He said more than asked. It was worded as a suggestion but i knew very well it was a command. Normally I wouldn't think twice about taking orders from anyone other than Sting or Lucy, but I felt like he was right.

I owed them both a lot. As if reasing my mind, Loke made sure to point out that I also owed others. "Levy, freed, and Rufus spent a lot of time away from home to figure out what was happening to you. Orga took a lot of time to train you and keep you occupied wile Lucy went on jobs to pay _your_ bills."

_As if I didn't already feel guilty enough_. I sighed in frustration, not with the zodiac leader in front of me, but with myself. I thought for a moment and realized I only remembered what happened after I became a child, but not immediately before. Knowing that i was missing that information irritated me on a whole new level so I did what I thought made sense. I asked Loke. "Can you tell me what happened during the battle?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to think. His cat like ears in his hair twitched as his brow furrowed in concentration. I waited patiently for him to figure collect his thoughts. After a few minutes of silence, he sighed again and gave me a defeated look.

"My princess wont be happy if I tell you." I was taken back by that statement. As far as I knew Lucy didn't keep anything from me. _Why would she choose now to start lying to me?_ "Please tell me Loke."

He visibly cringed at the defeated sound of my voice. He patted me on the back and looked around to make sure we were alone, before I promised. "If Lucy finds out, you tell her _I_ demanded you tell me the truth."

He nodded and took.a deep breath before he dove into his explanation. "After Frosch and Virgo got all of the kids out, Lucy's old team showed up. Before they could get to you two, that woman attacked my princess. You grew furious and attacked her, breaking her neck and effectively killing her. With her dying breath she cursed you but strangely that caused the spell to lift from the kidnapped miners.

"Upon leaving there was one child who wasn't claimed. Apparently the guild had already killed his parents and he had no family to turn to. So Lucy took him in. His name is Isaac and he is a shadow God slayer. You remember the rest right?"

"Yes. Thank you Loke." I sat down on my bed and ran my hand through my hair. Letting out an annoyed growl, I closed my eyes and tried to process what I had just heard_. I killed someone_. My stomach turned at the realization and I felt like i would puke. _But, I killed her to keep Lucy safe, so it's okay... Right?_

My mind was in a daze as I tried to comprehend everything. An entire month of my life was gone and I only remembered bits and pieces. _Is this how Lucy felt after waking up on Tenroe?_

"Im going back now." My body jumped on its own at the sound of Lokes voice. _Fuck! I forgot he was here. _He glossed over the fact that I had been growling like an animal and ignoring him for a good ten minutes, and said his goodbyes. "My princess is tired so I suggest you head to the guild to pick up that kid of hers. You still have jobs to go on with Orga to replace the furniture downstairs."

I recoiled at the harsh tone of his voice. I really did need to go on a job to replace everything but chances were, Orga and Isaac had already picked jobs in lower class levels. So this would probably take a while. "Okay. I'll go now. When she wakes up will you come tell her where I went?"

"Sure." He said returning to his soft purring tone. The vibration in his voice relaxed me and I knew he would return the moment Lucy woke up. Although I secretly hoped she would sleep until I returned.

The next thing I knew, there was an arch of golden sparkles, creating a doorway in the middle of my room. "Be careful on your mission." He whispered as he disappeared into the golden gateway.

Picking myself up, I headed to the door with newfound determination. Time to go make things right with everyone I inconvenienced.


	29. An Incredulous Mission part 1

**Hey monsters! Oneesama back with a surprise update!!!**

**So this is going to be a 2 part chapter. It's way too long to be one part.**

**So to help y'all out.. Scene 1 is in Rogues POV, scene 2 is in Orgas POV and scene 3 is in Isaacs POV.**

**I will have the next chapter up by tuesday!!!**

**To answer a question left in the comments... Oka-san means mom. So when Isaac apologised he accidentally called Lucy mom and it stuck (or at least it's going to stick)**

**Now for chapter dedications...**

**From FFN,**

**Zebralord23... You are definitely right... Don't mess with mommy mode, it's not good for your health lol**

**and**

**mynameisshelby: I absolutely love the nickname... Cliffhanger queen huh? I'm definitely going to try harder to live up to that title**

***laughs evily***

**So anyway, yay for almost 3k words. But enough from me, let's get onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

* * *

The wind blew through the trees causing a chill to crawl up my spine. Even with all of my covering, I still found myself shivering from the cold breeze. My companions didn't seem to mind the change in weather in the least.

Orga was wearing a pair of thin red joggers with a matching opened windbreaker. As usual, he didn't have a shirt on underneath but his normally sandaled feet adorned red boots today.

Isaac was dressed in a pair of tight black leather pants and matching jacket. His shirt was a deep maroon color while his jacket had maroon inlining. The overcoat itself had iron spikes on its cuffs and I noticed his boots also had spiked studs on them.

Of course Isaac had mentioned the boots and jacket were a gift from Gajeel. But that information just served to confuse me more. _Why would Gajeel give this kid a gift? _

I understood Lucy was housing the boy, and I was aware that he and I were bonded in a way I couldn't yet describe, but I really didn't comprehend what was going on with the celestial maiden since I returned to my normal self.

I still hadn't regained all of my memories, only bits and pieces. Enough to know I missed a lot of things I would rather remember than forget. Growling in frustration with myself, I looked down at the list of seemingly useless jobs Orga had picked.

_These really aren't worth being called jobs._ I thought in disgust. I wondered why Sting would even allow these to be posted on the board in the first place. As if reading my mind, Orga spoke up.

"It was Lucy's idea to start posting these menial tasks on the board for the kids of the guild. According to her, it's good practice for them." I guess that made sense in a way. Isaac was only eleven so there was no way he could handle serious missions, God slayer or not.

"Still, I feel a little rediculious accepting these." I complained. Orga just laughed in my face causing my frustration to rise.

"Well I took these jobs a few days ago while you were still a kid." I grimmised at the thought and decided to leave well enough alone. We were nearing our first clients house and I wanted nothing more than to hurry through these vexatious assignments.

* * *

**XxX**

* * *

"Thank you so much for coming!" We had arrived at our clients house and I had to stop myself from laughing out loud at how absolutely pissed Rogue was. I mean, sure I didn't feel like babysitting them while they ran errands for the townsfolk, but when I found out Rogue was back to his old self, I knew the day was going to be hilarious.

We followed the young woman who introduced herself as Kasumi into her small home. The inside was decorated every shade of blue imaginable, with starfish, anchors and rope placed intrequitely on the walls creating a beach-y feel.

She pulled on her yellow sweater and began crying. She pulled a photo of a yellow duck named Psy.

Isaac was listening intently to the young redhead who had requested our assistance. Apparently her pet duck had gotten loose and, although she had located it, she couldn't get it to come down from a specific tree to come home. Isaacs job was to collect the duck and return it to her.

I would admit, I was a little surprised at how seriously he was taking the hysterical woman. He made sure to give her extra reassurance by promising to return by the end of the day with her bird in hand.

With the promise of 1,000j, Isaac bowed deeply and led both Rogue and I out of her house and towards the woods.

Once we were far enough away, Rogue finally let loose his aggravation. "What kind of nonsense mission is this?"

"Its not nonsense!" Isaac defended.

"Who has a pet duck?! It doesnt make sense!" He wasnt wrong and I felt my resolve crack. I let out a boisterous laughter that echoed through the trees. My hands found their way to my stomach as i doubled over in a fit of hilarity until I realized Rogue and Isaac weren't done.

Isaac was furious, I could see it in his harsh glare. But what he said next nearly made me choke on my own spit. "_You_ have a flying green cat for a pet! Who are you to make fun of other people's pets?!"

"Frisch is not a pet!" Rogues eyes turned dangerously dark and I prepared to step in between them before things got out of hand but I forgot one important detail...

Lucy had been taking care of this kid for over a month. If there was one thing he'd learned in his time with her, it was how to argue.

"This is _my_ mission Rogue! If you don't wanna be here you can leave!We're here because oka-san us angry with us. _You_ might not care about that but _I_ do!" _Damn that kid knows just what to say to hurt people_. I thought in amazement.

I saw the look of guilt flash through my friends crimson eyes and I knew the boy had gotten through to him. Rogue was a man of honor and he probably felt horrible for forgetting why he agreed to the mission in the first place.

Sure, to me and him jobs like this seened stupid and a waste of our time, but Isaac was just a kid. A kid who was trying to build confidence and prove himself as a member of Sabertooth.

I understood Rogue had a lot on his mind right then, but he wasnt a kid anymore and he needed to start acting like the mentor he was supposed to be. These jobs were supposed to be punnishment for them destroying the house and disrespecting Yukino.

I was actually amazed that Rogue had forgotten that and Isaac seemed to be the only one taking his punnishment seriously. But hearing Rogues defeated voice, I knew the rest of the day would go much smoother.

"You're right. I'm sorry Isaac, I will take this mission seriously from here on out." He meant it too. Even Isaac could tell Rogue was being sincere in his apology.

Isaac began to fidget under Rogues gaze and I noticed, when he wasnt angry, he was a very timid child. "I'm sorry for calling Frosch a pet." He whispered.

I wasnt sure if rogue caught the nervousness in the boys voice, but I assumed he did based on the teasing look he gave him. He ruffled Isaacs already unruly blue locks and smiled warmly at him. "Its okay, I'll let it slide... _this time."_

* * *

**XxX**

* * *

"Look! There's the duck!" We had been walking for hours. After Rogue and me got into a fight, I was worried about spending the day with him. Rogue wasnt as fun now that he was a grown up again and I was starting to miss him being younger than me.

I needed to stop getting mad though. If I kept yelling at Rogue, he might not train me. If he won't train me than I cant be in Sabertooth and then I can't be with oka-san.

I told him I was sorrt for calling Frosch names and i think he forgave me. I really was sorry though. Frosch was fun and really nice. It was mean of me to call him a pet.

Not seeing that we had reached a clearing at the edge of town, I nearly screamed in surprise when I heard a deep raspy voice booming through the area.

"Who goes there?!"

"What the hell?" Orga yelled before taking a defensive stance behind me.

Rogue ran in front of me and I thought I heard him snarl before he raised his shadow covered fists and hid me under his cape. "Show yourself!"

I was a little annoyed that Rogue was hiding me. I wasn't some stupid little kid that needed to run and hide when things were scary. _I am a god slayer, I can help fight too!_

"You dare tread on my terrain and question me?!"

I could feel static in the air and the light around us seemed to get smaller. I figured both Orga and Rogues powers were spiking and I peaked my head from my hiding spot while they were distracted.

Looking around, i could sense a foregin magical energy, but I couldn't see or smell anyone nearby. Only the... _Oh my gods!_ "Guys..." I said pointing wide eyed at the giant willow. "I-I think it was the tree talking..."

They both dropped their hands and looked at me like I was crazy. I thought I might be until I heard a quacking sound mixed with shaking leaves, catching all of our attention.

We looked at the giant willow tree in front of us in amazement. It had a mixture of purple and white flowers covering its lime green branches that cascaded down making it look like hair. It was at least twenty feet tall and five feet around, it must've been over four hundred years old.

My heart sped up when I watched the bark on its trunk morph into a face that looked like it had been carved into the tree. It looked at me with what I guess was regard before it looked at Rogue and Orga in disgust.

"We're here to collect the duck. Hand it over and we will leave peacefully." Rogue demanded as soon as he realized I was right. The tree scoffed and it's branches began to lash out at us, making us jump back a few feet.

"You dare demand my friend human?!"

"That fowl belongs to Kasumi-san!" He argued back. By now Orga was sitting on a nearby boulder watching Rogue argue with the tree while I tried to come up with a plan.

"Lies! All you big humans do is lie and destroy! I will not allow you to take Fred!"

"Fred?" Orga asked from out of nowhere. The name was a bit random but hey, who was I to judge. It was better than Psy.

"It is his name." The tree snapped. Orga threw up his hands in a surrendering motion before chuckling and pulling out our next job request and reading over it.

"No it's not." Rogue said irritably. "His name is Psy and he is the property of Kasumi-san. You _will_ return him."

Rogue looked scary. I think the tree thought so too because he started yelling and trying to hide 'Fred' in his canopy. But something wasnt making sense to me.

If he was a tree, why we're there no birds or squirrels or bugs around? Is that why he took the duck? Because nothing liked him? Maybe he was just a lonely grumpy old man.

Oka-san had told me a story about how sometimes, really sad and lonely spirits can attatch themselves to things and part of her job as a celestial mage was to help them be happy. Maybe the tree was a sad spirit?

But oka-san wasn't here and this was my job. So it was up to me to figure out how to help him.

_Oh no..._

I had been thinking so hard that I didnt see Rogue fighting with the tree. On the ground there were lots of torn up leaves and flowers from where Rogue had attacked and the tree was screaming in agony.

"No!! Please dont take him... I dont want to be alone again." _I knew it!_

Rogue had managed to capture the yellow duck and was now standing near Orga ready to go. I looked at him with a disgusted amazement and scoffed before turning to face the now sobbing tree.

"Mr tree?" I asked nervously. Slowly I walked up to his trunk and saw sap tears covering his bark. I felt so bad for him, he looked so lonely.

"Birds don't nest in my branches, nor do squirrels build their homes in my trunk. This duck is the only creature to not run in fright at the site of me. Dont take him away..." I really felt bad for him and could see why Oka-san always wanted to help her spirits. I wanted to help Mr tree, but i couldnt let him keep Psy.

"But he's not yours. He has a home and a person that loves him and misses him very much. She's alone right now because you're keeping him from her." I knew that he would probably feel bad for making someone else feel like he was feeling. And I knew he would agree to let us take the duck once I finished talking to him. But it didn't feel right leaving him here like this.

"What if we could find you another friend?" I asked suddenly. Rogue had walked up to us by then and was looking at me funny.

"What do you mean Isaac?" I could see Mr tree look like he wanted to ask the same question so I explained my plan.

"Our next job is to find a home for an animal that's been living in an old lady's garden. We could bring it here to be your friend and then Psy can go home."

I waited a few minutes while he thought it over. Orga was laughing at me and rogue was staring at me with his mouth open. I thought maybe my plan was stupid and was about to say something else when Mr tree spoke up.

"I will agree to this. But, I will not release Fred until you return with a replacement."

My eyes lit up in excitement and a bright smile overtook my face. "Well what are we waiting for then? Let's go!" _I really hope this works..._


	30. incredulous missions part 2

**Hey monsters! Oneesama back with the conclusion of Isaacs missions!**

**im not sire what happened, but this chapter goes before Making up for Lost Time**

**I am thinking of doing an OC chapter for you guys to include short bio and image of each of my OCs (Isaac and Kasumi would be it for now)**

**I DO have a question for an upcoming fanfic im working on...**

**When it comes to God Slaying magic, like Isaac, Orga, Chelia, and Zancrow...**

**Which idea do you like better for how they got their powers?**

**1.) They are like demigods, the children of a god and a human**

**2.) They were subjected to a sacred ritual giving them God like magic**

**3.) They are from another timeline and came through the eclipse gate at different times**

**4.) They are actually gods who lost their memory upon being banished to Earthland**

**Choose your TWO favorite options please**

**Okay that's enough from me...**

**Onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

Returning to the meadow to retrieve the duck we originally set out to capture was brutal. What should have been a simple extraction wound up nearly being a fight for our lives...

* * *

_I did a double take when we arrived at lady Galliopts house. If you could call it a house. It looked more like an over glorified shack in the middle of a wild and untaimed abandoned lot.__Weeds as tall as me were mixed with various colored ferns and flowers that obstructed the view of glowing herbs on the ground beneath my feet. Orga had decided to sit this job out upon seeing a rather healthy masima fern that was three feet taller than him. He was highly allergic so I didn't mind.__Fastidously, Isaac and I made our way to the 'house', careful not to crush any of the precious plants on our way. We finally reached the door and I followed Isaac in so we could get the details of the mission._

_**XxX**_

_"I know I only requested to have the fox removed, but I didnt realize the legendary Shadow Slayer would be coming." I wasn't sure how comfortable I was being called a legend. I bowed my head slightly before I looked her in the eyes to explain my stance on this mission.__"This is Isaacs job." I said pointing to the young bluenete next to me. "He is a Sabertooth mage in training, I am just here to help if needed."__She looked down at him and smiled warmly. I guessed she took what I said to heart because her happy face turned serious and she bowed her head in respect.__"Isaac-san, would it be possible to raise the reward to say, I dont know, 30,000j, and have the both of you help me move some new plants I'm having delivered?"__His stormy eyes turned to me looking for approval and I assumed he was wondering if I'd be willing to help him. I nodded in conformation that would indeed help and he smiled before turning to look at the rather hefty greying woman in front of us.__"How many plants do you need us to move?"__"A little over a dozen. Some of them are rather large, which is why I need help. My old back just can't handle the extra weight anymore." I couldnt help but raise my brow at her declaration. It was ironic she would mention her back hurting because of weight given her very rounded appearance.__"I guess that would be fine. But I'd like 40,000j if that's okay. I can do extra work if you need me too." I looked at Isaac wondering what he was up to. Lady Galliopts seemed to have the same thought as me based on her next question.__"Is there any reason you need so much young man?"__Isaac looked down for a brief moment before he looked up with his head high and his shoulders straight. "Hai. I actually did something bad and need to fix it."__Her quizzical expression was all Isaac needed to see to continue his explanation. "I got in a fight with my uncle and broke all of the furniture in the living room. Oka-san said I needed to fix it so that's why I took jobs."__She gave him a strange look that I couldn't place and I worried he had overstepped. I was going to say something when she laughed loudly before patting his back so hard he stumbled forward.__"Well well, I find it refreshing that a young man like yourself is willing to take responsibility for your mistakes. I'll agree to 40,000j but, you'll have to help me prune my laughing blossoms."__I saw his eyes light up and my heart rate quickened. Laughing blossoms were no joke and it was obvious he had no idea what they were. "Isaac that sounds a little-"__"Deal!" So much for warning him.__"Okay! The plants should be here in one hour. That's enough time for you to catch the rabbit right?"__I thought back to that tangle of foliage and wondered if an hour was really enough time to catch a tiny grey rabbit. Isaac go serve seemed confident so I decided to let him do what he wanted.__"Yes ma'am."__"Perfect! Once you capture that pest, come see me and we'll prune the blossoms. By the time were done, the new plants should be here and I'll run to the bank while you unload the plants."_

* * *

_

"Shadow God slayer: shadow cage!" Isaac shot his hands forward and manipulated his shadows to form a tight cage around the body of the rodent we had been chasing for twenty minutes. Our hour was just about up and I was impressed Isaac had managed to catch the creature.

Either way, by now I was furious. Half of the plants in this garden were sentient and attacked us any time we got too close. Why they didn't attack the rabbit was beyond me, but it didn't change the fact that my new Cape was torn to shreds and I was sporting a nasty bruise on my cheek.

"Why did you agree to this?!" I didn't mean to yell but seriously?!

"Oi! I didn't know she meant psycho man eating plants!" He was beat up himself and I worried how mad lucy would be when she saw he had ruined his new pants. "Lets just get out of here."

**XxX**

We made it to the tree around seven at night. Isaac was the one to run forward with the caged rabbit. He went straight to the nusense that he had dubbed Mr Tree and tapped his bark lightly to wake him up.

Once again the solid wooden shell of bark began to morph until the familiar face resembeling that of an old man appeared.

"You've come back?"

"I told you I would, and look! I brought you a friend!" Isaac shoved the black cage into the trees face, I assumed so he could inspect it before accepting it.

To my shock, the trees grumpy face changed to a wide smile. Some of the long hair like vines moved to pat Isaac on the shoulder before they reached up deep onto his tangled mess of leaves and pulled the strange looking yellow duck down.

Isaac set the cage on the ground and opened it, pulling the bunny close to his chest. He took a few moments to introduce the grey rodent to the foliage that would now be it's home and surprisingly, the little creature slept from Isaacs arms and landed at the base of the tree.

As the rabbit began sniff around, it found a hollowed opening near the base of the trees trunk. Isaac, being the observant kid he was, began to gather the leaves and flowers that had fallen from the tree. He stuffed them.in the hole and laughrd as the duck swaddled over with a beak full of feathers.

The bunny hopped over to a nearby bush and began to collect berries. Orga and I watched silently a little ways off while Isaac took charge of making the critter feel at home before leaving. He had mentioned his job wasnt complete unless everyone was happy since there were no bad guys involved.

I guess that meant helpung the rabbit build a nest and get acquainted before taking the yellow bird and leaving. I felt pride watching him. It was his first time doimg missions, and he wasn't doing it because he wanted to... Well, maybe he did, but he took the jobs to honor his punnishment from Lucy. Not only that, he was taking charge, going above and beyond for his clients, and going out of his way to make even the most insignificant creature feel safe.

Eventually, the cottontail settled into its new nest and the tree was crying huge sappy tears of joy. "Thank you so much young man! Please, take this."

One of the trees vines covered to Isaacs level and presented a beautiful scale shaped item. It looked like it was made of hematite, it was smooth on the inside but rigid on the outside. I danced a strong magical energy and listened as the tree explained what it was.

"This is called Shadow Scale. It is the scale of the great protector of the forest. Skaidrum the mighty shadow once made his home under my very branches. He was but a hatchling then and I protected him from the vile humans who seeked to harm him."

My blood ran cold when he shot me a deathly icy stare. My body began to move on its own and I found myself standing right in front of him. "You knew my father?"

"For all intense and purposes, I am your grandfather. But dont think I am unaware of your sins! You are the reason our timeline has been altered and you are responsible for the death of my son!" His eyes shifted so he was looking at Isaac again and he continued.

"That scale can be used as an armor that will boost your shadow magic. Use it well and keep it safe. It is very rare and the last one I have."

Isaac bowed his head deeply, giving his thanks before we finally were able to leave with the duck, who had taken the rabbits place in the shadow cage.

**XxX**

Upon returning the bird to the young redhead, we were informed that she actually knew Lucy. Apparently the girl worked at some clothing shop and she and Lucy had become fast friends.

After hearing all the trouble Isaac had to go through to get Psy back, she paid him an additional 500j and Gabe him a voucher to come replace his now torn up clothes.

He accepted his reward and was beyond happy with what he had accomplished. I was proud of him. In one day he managed to make 42,000j, collect an incredibly rare item that would help his magic, and a voucher for new clothes.

I knew he would need about 8,000j more to repay Lucy, and I was more than willing to cover the difference. We met up with Orga and began our long walk back to the guild. It was a long and exhausting day. But Isaac had done well and completed not one but two missions on his first outing.

I was sure both Sting and Lucy would be proud. The thought gave me a new energy and I picked up the pace towards home.

**XxX**

**Hey monsters! So I'm not sure how much I liked the ending but meh.**

**Next chapter is going to be interesting... It's goimg to start out fluffy but end on a sour note. No lemons yet but there will be some intense emotion. I hope you guys enjoyed this little two shot!!! Until next time!!!**


	31. Making up for lost time

**Hey monsters!!! TODAYS MY BIRTHDAY YAY!!! In honor of me starting the last year of my 20s, here with a surprise update!!**

**It's just a small filler chapter that I wrote while on break at work so it's not the best but oh well lol.**

**No rogue in this chapter but it's neat. Plus I realized if I didn't add it a chapter I plan to publish soon won't make sense.**

**Anyway, enough from me...**

**Onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Isaac completed his first missions. We had related Lucy and gotten new clothes. Isaac had decided to train under Orga for the time being leaving Lucy, Yukino, Sting, and I free to do as we pleased.

It was well into November and I vaguely remembered Lucy mentioning her birthday was in October. Guilt flooded me as I realized she probably didnt enjoy the day because she was stuck with two children at the time.

I decided I wanted to do something special, as a thank you of course, as a belated birthday gift. I left my three bubbly companions at the guild and made my way into town...

* * *

**XxX**

* * *

I wonder what his problem is?" Sting asked with a huff. Lucy just slapped him playfully and I laughed at his stupidness. Honestly, who could tell when it came to Rogue.

He was as mysterious as he was intelligent. He had a way of never showing emotion and I'll admit, sometimes it frightened me knowing what I knew about his future persona.

We decided to ignore the gloomy vibe he had left behind and started making plans for the day. "So Lucy, do you want to go shopping? There's a new magic shop I've been wanting to check out."

"That sounds fun. Are you coming with us Sting?" I waited for him to say yes, knowing this was part of our plot to convince Lucy to stay.

He didnt disappoint. Giving her a toothy grin he patted his stomach and said, "we're getting lunch while we're out right?"

"Of course!" Lucy and I said together. Laughing at the silliness of it, the three of us made our way towards the town's shopping district.

* * *

**XxX**

* * *

"Welcome to the Mages Mage! How can I help the mighty mages of Sabertooth today?" A very skinny old man greeted us at the door. He was hunched over and using a wooden cane taller than him to stand. His long beard drug on the floor and his squinty eyes hid behind thick lenses of black goggle glasses. He was overjoyed to see us and I was glad we decided to come here.

"Do you have any items for celestial mages?" Yukino quickly asked, determined to find something specific that I couldn't figure out. I hoped she found whatever it was she was looking for while we were here.

"Oh yes, I have a decent collection of keys along with weapons, armor, and spell books." The merchant scuttled into the store and we followed behind eagerly.

"Do you have any gale force reading glasses or hyperpens? Maybe ruine ink or books on dragons and dragon slayers?" I asked as we neared the front counter where a glass case displayed dozens of silver, angel, gemstone, and on us keys.

"I have all of those things. I also have speciality potions to boost magical energy and tomes on various learned magic. I also have many holder magic items such as celestial keys, Angel coins and keys, onyx keys, gemstone keys, tarrot cards, heavinly crystals, script quills, and spacial weapons."

"Can I see your books?" I asked. I really wanted to start building my library for my room and figured magical books were the best place to start.

"I'd like to see the celestial armor and weapons." Yukino surprised me by changing her main focus. I thought she was looking for a certain key, but maybe she wanted a sword or something.

"Anything that could benefit me?" Sting asked speaking up for the first time. The merchants eyes opened up wide and he seemed elated that sting wanted to buy something. He probably thought Sting was just accompanying two of the three female mages in the guild on a shopping trip.

"Ah, Sting-dono, I didnt realize I'd have the honor of serving you today! Hai, I have many items that would be perfect for you! Allow me to show the ladies their sections first?" He bowed deeply and turned back to me and Yukino.

"Sure! Lucy, Yukino, dont spend more than 50,000j or im not paying."

"Thanks Sting!"

"You're the best!"

"Yeah yeah whatever." He said jokingly. The merchant rushed us over to seprate parts of the store, Yukino in front of a large display cased wall and me in a miniature library, before heading back to where Sting was waiting.

* * *

**XxX**

* * *

"So over here are masters items. Since you're also a dragon slayer, I made sure to stock up on things that would target your specific needs." I looked over the shelves of different colored clothes, weapons, and accessories in amazement.

"Cool!" He smiled brightly and pulled down a silver colored vest. It had one long sleeve and one cut off sleeve with gold lining, I remembered Natsu wearing something similar and wondered how much better I'd look in it than him.

The merchant also grabbed a pair of light blue boots like the ones I normally wore. They had silver lining and were so light they almost looked white.

"These boots and this vest are made of dragon scale. The boots are made from the scales of the sky dragon and give you the ability to feel light as air in battle. The vest acts as a shield, made from the scales of the iron dragon, it's nearly impenetrable."

"How did you get these?" How could they be made from dragon scales if the dragons were gone?

"I know a collector of scales and had them custom made."

_Rogue would love this. Gajeel-san, Wendy-chan, abd Laxus-san too._ I thought. I suddenly got an idea, Christmas was coming up and these would be perfect.

"Can I order things in certain scales?"

"Gifts for other dragon slayers?" He asked knowingly. I laughed a bit at his very correct assumption and nodded earnestly. "Something like that."

"I'll see what I can do young Master." He slid me an order form where I could write the specifics of what I wanted and gave me another paper with a list of prices for the items I could choose from. "Now, I should go check on those girls." He joked as he scuttled his way back to where my companions were shopping.

_Probably already went over their budget_

. I thought in a happy mood. It's not like it mattered. I was about to spend way more than they ever could.

* * *

**XxX**

* * *

We wound up spending way more that 50,000j each but Sting still footed the bill for us. Yukino purchased her own Canas Minor key and a silver swan key along with an angel key holding the cupid. She also got a book on celestial magic, a whip similar to mine, and a few special outfits.

I wound up with much more. I purchased two silver keys, the nymph, and the crow, even for silver keys they were pretty rare. I also got two onyx keys, they're stronger than silver keys, but less powerful than gold, angel, or gemstone keys. I got the Dragon and the unicorn.

I also got around two dozen books on magics. I made sure to get three of each heavenly body, angel, and moon slaying magic since they all derived from celestial magic. I also got six books related to dragon's and dragon slayers, two on ruine magic, four on shadow magic, three on healing magic, and three on exquip magic.

I knew I would never master any other magic, but I figured I could pick up a few tricks for tough situations. Along with my keys and books, I got a new outfit, a katana, and a magic limiter that specializes in shadow magic.

I wasn't sure why the boots and vest that were Stings only purchase was nearly one million jewl! Together, Yukino and I had spent about 150,000j, compared to Stings 997,000j that was nothing. But he paid for everything no questions asked with a smug smirk on his face.

We decided not to question him, he probably had a reason for spending so much. We paid the merchant who was so happy, he gifted us with a 30% off forever VIP pass for the shop. We would also get birthday gifts and since mine had just passed, he gave me and yukino two matching moon and star necklaces. We packed everything away into my reusable cloth bags and we went our seprate ways.

Sting was going to take Yukino out on a date and I was going to go home and cook some comfort food and start reading the books I bought. Or at least that's what I thought I was going to do until I walked in the house and saw what Rogue had done.


	32. Surprise

Hey monsters! Oneesama here with the next chapter, yay!!!

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT LIME-Y

AKA MATURE

Anyway... This one's the last fluffy one we're going to have for a while. Some ish is about to go down and I must warn you... Emotions will run wild.

So yeah, I hope you guys enjoy this!!!

Onto the story!!!!

XxX

The smell of something amazing drifted in the air and I found myself searching for the source. My eyes went wide as I realized it was coming from the kitchen. Following my nose, I found Rogue bent down in front of the oven pulling out a glass, covered pan.

Sensing my presence he turned to me with his eyes wide. "You're back already?"

I got a little nervous because he looked upset that I was there. Maybe I should've gone with Sting and Yukino to eat instead of coming back to relax.

Honestly, I had forgotten about him being back to normal and I was a little wary of being completely alone with him for the first time. Normally, Sting or Yukino was with us. When they weren't around, Frosch was there acting as an unknown buffer.

But Sting and Yukino were on a date and Frosch was having a sleepover with Lector and Isaac at Rufus and Orgas house. Rogue sighed and then let out a deep chuckle.

"Guess I shouldn't have taken so long to decide what to cook. Welcome home Lucy." My anxiety fell back and I smiled warmly at him. I guess he wasn't mad after all. I looked behind him.at the various pots and pans then looked back at him with a raised brow.

"I'm not the best cook but I'm not completely helpless in the kitchen." He joked with an awkward chuckle.

Giggling back, I walked over to the cabinets and started to grab plates and silverware. "It smells delicious."

XxX

We had a nice warm dinner, complete with conversation and wine. After that, he surprised me with a new library room. Apparently a door that I assumed was a closet was actually an unused office space. Rogue had commissioned workers to lime the walls with shelves, and he had filled it with cozy looking furniture and a coffee/wine bar.

The room was complete with a fireplace and one already filled corner of classic literature. It took us another bottle of wine to finish setting my new books up and just as I was beginning to feel tipsy, Rogue led me to his study.

It was a lovely room it had the same black floors as the rest of the house and was decorated in burgundy and beige. A shuffling sound alerted me to Rogue who had moved to dig an envelope from his large black desk.

"I wanted to apologize to you Lucy." He said as he turned back to me. The sincerity in his visible eye made my knees buckle and I found myself barely able to whisper. "For what?"

"Your birthday." It took me a minute before I remembered my birthday had actually passed without me noticing. I thought about it and tried to remember what I was doing that day but nothing came to mind.

As if reading my thoughts, he started to explain. "Isaac was training with Gajeel and I was sick. You spent the day cleaning my vomit and nursing me to health."

"You dont have to apologize for that!" I yelled a little too loudly. "To be honest, I didnt even realize my birthday had passed until just now when you said something."

"It doesnt matter." He said with a determined grin.

"But-"

"Here." He cut me off before I could argue further and shoved a white envelope into my hands.

"What's this?" I asked turning the parchment over in my hands to inspect it.

"A gift." I opened the envelope and my eyes widened in shock. It was four tickets to Honidly resort. Tickets like there were very expensive and hard to get even if you did have the money.

Honidly was a first class mage resort that catered to elite mages of Fiore. Normally, members of the msgic Council, the guild masters, or even Princess Hasui woukd be the kind of mages they accepted.

I wasn't sure if Rogue had used Stings guild master title, or if he just garnered that much respect in his own right. Either way, it was impressive. I looked to him with shock written all over my face and he just smiled warmly making the hidden scales on my chest tingle.

"I figured you'd want to take Yukino. Sting would be furious if he missed out and I cant leave that idiot alone in a place like this." He wasn't looking at me anymore and his hands were rubbing the back of his neck. He was blushing a bit and I found his nervousness adorable.

"It's perfect. Thank you Rogue." After tucking the tickets safely away in the spirit world, we made our way back downstairs to the living room, where Rogue slipped on a movie. He took time to build a fire because the sun had gone down and it was getting cold inside of the house. Pouring me a glass of wine, he sat down next to me.

I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder and pull me to his side. Normally I would've protested but... it was nice. Romantic dare I say? I tried to hide the fact that I was freezing, but my shivering body betrayed me. Rogue simply pulled the thick black blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around me.

I snuggled up until I was comfortable and finally relaxed in Rogues hold. It was nice, being wrapped up in his arms like that. I hadnt been held like this in so long I'd almost forgotten how safe it feels.

The movie was a wonderful mix of emotions and by the end I felt completely exhausted. My vision was hazy, probably from the six bottles of wine we had drank, but the warmth was so comfortable that I just couldn't force myself to get up.

So instead I did the logical thing... I snuggled closer to Rogues chest and closed my eyes. I figured I could just rest until he was ready to get up. As long as he was there than I could be too.

XxX

We must have shifted suring the night because I knew for a fact that I had fallen asleep sitting up and I was now most certainly laying down. I could feel the familiar tingling of the scales on my chest and was mortified to find my inner self purring with satisfaction at the feeling of my current position.

I was basically laying on top of him. My left arm was haphazardly laying by his side while my right arm held onto him tightly. My right leg was also hiked up resting on his lap.

Confusion took me over when I felt a large muscle twitch under my knee. I shifted my leg so I could see what it was causing a sleepy moan to escape from Rogues mouth. My face flushed a deep crimson when I realized what I just did and I decided to keep my legs still going forward.

I had yet to open my eyes but Rogues steady breathing assured me he was still sleeping. Two very tempting options presented themselves. I could jeep my eyes closed and snuggle into his warmth longer, or I could wake him up and kidnap him for the day.

But the feeling of his arm wrapped around my shoulder and his hand tangled in my hair was making it hard for me to think rationally. I should've woken him up but my body was acting on its own at this point.

I couldnt control myself, it was like his magic was calling to me, begging me to strengthen the connection I had been trying so hard to break. Rogue knew nothing about what was going on and I didnt want to be the cause of his darkness. Not again.

But my body ignored my minds pleading. I felt myself snuggle against his shirt, a fresh wave of tingling heat pooling in my chest as his scent washed over me. Slowly, I tilted my head back until I felt somgetting solid hit my nose. Taking a deep breath I pressed myself until my lips were flush against the warm skin of his neck.

I was ready to scream at myself to stop but a low growl coming from under me stopped me in my tracks. In one fluid movement, Rogue flipped us so that my head was cradled in the crook of his arm. My back was pressed against the couch and my chest was against his and the tingling I was used to became a burning I longed to relieve.

He slowly bent down and kissed my forehead and my hand found its way to the loose tie in the back of his hair. Releasing his ebony locks from their trap, I ran my fingers through the silky strands and felt my lower half press closer to his.

His dark crimson eyes stared down at me like lasers looking into my very soul and I shivered at the way it made the burning pulisate through my stomach. His hand moved from my hair to my side, his fingers ghosting up and down causing sparks of massive heat to explode throughout my body.

His head bent down again until I felt his hot breath against my pulse point. My stomach burned and my body shivered as his nose rubbed up and down from my collar to my ear. An involuntary moan escaped me and I felt his lips turn in delight..

His lips met my skin and the burning sensation exploded into a form of pleasure I had never felt before. It wasn't like this last time. My body jerked and my arms found their way to his shirt. A soft groan against my neck caused my hands to faulted momentarily but I was back at it in an instant.

Unbottoning the last of the barier, I pulled the offending farmer from his arms and pushed him back so I could admire his God like body. When I saw his black tribal markings, something in me snapped and all logical reasoning was out the door. I sat up and wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him back on top of me.

His hands moved to pull my shirt off until an awkward cough from the front door broke us from our lust filled daze. Rogue looked furious and I was worried about what would happen when I saw his shadows flare. "Get. Out."


	33. A Bad Mission

Hey monsters! please be sure to check out and vote on the question at the end of the chapter!

"So are you gonna tell me what that was about?" After being interrupted by Sting and Yukino, the four of us, plus two exfeeds, hopped on a train and were on our way to Rosenville City for a job.

I had used Gemini to cast troia on the guys and thankfully, they decided to ride in their own compartment. Frosch and Lector demanded to stay with us and were both passed out near the window, soaking in the morning sun.

I wished I could be as carefree as them. Mortified doesnt even begin to cover the feeling I was having. Not only did I let myself lose control, I caused Rogue to do it too. Not only that, freaking Sting and Yukino showed up! "Gods Yuki, I'm so embarrassed!"

"You looked pretty confident from where I was standing." She joked. I knew she was trying to lighten the mood, it helped a little.

"Its not funny!" I slapped her playfully on the arm and sighed. "Seriously, how am I supposed to focus on this mission now? I can't even look anyone in the eyes!" I buried my red face in my hands. Seriously, it's been a year I thought I had this crap under control!

Sensing my unease, Yukino stopped laughing and looked at me with concern written in her features. "So... What exactly happened?"

"I... I don't know." It was true. I had no idea what had happened. Well, I had an idea but I refused to accept it as fact. I was in control of my fate, not him. My breathing became uneasy as I felt the start if an anxiety attack creeping up my spine.

Immediately, yukino was by my side, her left hand firmly but gently rubbing circles on the small of my back. Her right was stroking my hair in a loving manner and the combination of comforting feelings helped me to relax and avoid an outburst.

"Okay, let's try this." Her sweet voice was nearly a whisper. I felt her touch my keys and within seconds, the soothing sound of Lyras voice filled the cabin. "Why we're you and Rogue on the couch together in your pajamas?"

Okay, so we're taking this step by step... I can do this. It's just Yuki... My sister, my best friend (aside from Levy). She wants to help. Let her.

"We fell asleep watching a movie."

"What movie?" She asked in the same soft voice.

"Princess Bride." I said in just as much of a whisper. I'm not sure why, but when my anxiety rises, it helps when things around me are dark and quiet. Yukino understood that better than anyone and I was greatful that she was being so patient with me.

"So you watched princess bride, did you do anything before after that? Or maybe before you watched the movie?"

"He cooked dinner, and we had some wine. We set up my new library in the spare room and that was it." Was it the wine that made me lose my hold? No, I doubt it. I didn't avt out when I was drunk and I had sobered up by the morning. No, this was me losing control again.

"I woke up and ..." I didn't need to say it. She saw what she saw. Really I should thank her for stopping us because my body was doing what it wanted by that point.

"And..." She pried. I could understand her confusion. When I got here I was terrified of Rogue. On some subconscious level, I still am. But not even three months later she walks in on us making out... I guess it's not all that surprising that she's pushing this.

"There's something I haven't told you. Something that happened and because of it, my body is physically drawn to Rogues magic." I was thankful when she didn't ask what happened. I wasnt ready to talk about it and didn't know if I would ever be.

"So you didn't know what you were doing?" Poor Yukino seemed more confused than before so I tried to explain.

"I knew exactly what I was doing I just, didn't have control over it." I answered hoping she would understand. She didn't.

"Are you saying he forced you?!"

"NO!" I said WAY too loudly. I sighed and lowered my voice before continuing. "What I mean is, my body was acting on its own. I made the first move, Rogue was just responding but he doesn't know why. If anything it was me who forced myself on him. He's probably just as confused as you are."

It was quiet for a while after that. Lyra had finished her song and returned leaving me alone with a thoughtful celestial mage and two sleeping exceeds. Eventually, the train announcer broke the silence saying our stop was coming up. That seemed to break her out of her daze and she turned to me with a look I can only describe as motherly concern.

"Look Lucy, maybe once this mission is over, you should come stay with me for a few days. It's obvious that whatever's going on with you makes you need a break from Rogues presence. I'll have Sting send him on a solo mission when we get back."

That was probably a good idea. But... I hated myself for feeling like being away from him was wrong. I didn't want to feel these things for him. I hated this damn curse! Maybe I should just tell her... "...Maybe."

XxX

I was thankful when Lucy sent Gemini-wendy to our cabin when the train started. I had thought maybe she was angry with me and planned to punish me. It was a stupid worry though. Lucy wouldn't do that. She wasn't a sadist like Yukino.

No, Lucy was Lucy. She was beautiful. Kind, smart, tactical, an excellent mage, and strong in every sense of the word. She was forgiving and empathetic to everyone who showed even the slightest bit of remorse for their wrongdoings.

She had forgiven my elder brother for torturing not onky her, but her best friend as well. She had forgiven Minerva for biblically humiliating her and nearly killing her in the process. She defended me from something that I still don't understand when my guildmates held it against me.

Lucy is skilled. She can cook, read, hold an intelligent and intreguing conversation, she helps everyone with their issues and is always thinking about how to make other people happy. She's brave as hell too. She's the only person I've ever met willing to get in between two dragon slayers in a serious fight, just to stop the fighting. She is the epotimy of perfect.

"So, you and Blondie huh?" My idiot partner interrupted my thoughts causing a low growl to escape from my chest. I was beyond pissed that he interrupted me earlier with a job request of all things!

"Shut up Sting." I warned again but, of course, he didn't listen.

"I mean, I can see why you're attracted to her but don't you think gropin-"

That's it! I balled up my fist and sent it flying swiftly into his face causing him to fly back onto the floor. "I said shut up!"

"Ouch Rogue, what the hell?! You didnt have to hit me." He wined rubbing his already swelling cheek.

He stood up and sat down across from me with a serious look. I knew he was being serious about wantimg to know what happened but i couldnt tell him what I didn't understand my damn self! "I dont know what happened okay so just drop it!"

"Uh no." He gave me a sarcastic shrug and I growled knowing there was no getting out of this conversation. "I need you to tell me what's going on. I'm asking as your brother, dont make me enforce my title Rogue, please."

His pleasing defeat in his voice got to me and I figured I might as well tell him. Maybe Lucy was talking to Yukino about it and Sting could fill in the pieces of both sides.

"We fell asleep on the couch watching a movie. I remember feeling something grinding against...myself... and then I felt a warm pressure on my neck. The next thing I know, my body was acting on its own." God that was humiliating to say aloud.

"So umm ... she forced you?" He asked in what I can only hope was an ill mannered joke.

"Don't be rediculious! It was my magic responding to hers. For some reason my body is drawn to hers without my consent." I said depressedly.

Sting just laughed loudly and slapped me on my back in a joking manner. "I mean, you didn't look like you were having a bad time so..."

"Shut. Up." I cut him off giving him a stern look. His smile faded and his seriousness returned so I decided to continue. "This could be serious. There is only one thing I can think of that would cause my body to act on such an instinctual level, and that's the inamorata spell."

"But, you havent...?" He was right. In order to complete the inamorata spell, the spell of eternal companionship, you must be mated with that person. And I have never slept with, let alone mated with Lucy.

"No." I said sternly. It was impossible for it to be inamorata so it had to be something else. Maybe my future self attacked her and she still harbors some lingering shadow magic? If that's the case I can draw them out and fix it.

"So what's going on?" I wanted to say I knew what was happening but I only had a theory. I needed to figure it out soon though because I was falking in love with this girl and I didn't know if my feelings were genuine or if this was some twisted trick of karma.

Could it be I was being punished for my future counterparts sins? Was there an emotion mage somewhere toying with me? The announcer on the train signaled our stop and I decides to put the matter on the back burner for now. "I really don't know. Let's just get this mission over with."

XxX

After meeting with the town Mayor and learning more about our mission, Sting, Lector, Yukino, Lucy, Frosch, and myself made our way towards the Fern woods. Our task was a simple one.

Our mission was a simple one. Take out a group of bandits that had been terrorizing incoming travelers. It had gotten so bad that people stopped coming to the city and it was causing an economic downfall. The group was supposed to have around two dozen people, at least six of them being mages.

We had been walking for hours and had finally picked up on our target. Upon investigation, we discovered two of the mages were at least S Class level, power wise and we decided to set up camp and come up with a plan.

"We need to figure out a way to get those two stronger mages alone so we can take them on without worrying about distractions." I decided aloud.

"How are we supposed to do that?!" Yukino said in an amazingly annoying high pitched squeal. How Sting found her attractive, I would never understand.

"I know! Open, gate of the twins: Gemini!" Lucy called out her spirit without saying why.

"Pre~ee!"

"Uh, how are those things gonna help?" Sting was the one to ask what was on all of our minds. Granted, calling her spirits a thing probably wasn't the best choice of words on his part.

"This is Gemini, not a thing Sting!" She growled giving him a glare that would frighten Zerif himself. "And yes, they're going to help."

Without further explination she turned to the two blue, aliens...? Gremlins? Im not sure to be honest. "Can you turn into Erza and take out as many of the bandits as possible?"

"Pree! Yes Lucy-sama! Pree!" With a poor of blue smoke, the blue creatures disappeared and in their place stood the intimidating form of Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail.

"Take as many out as you can, without being seen, and then immediately return to the spirit realm. Her Heavens Wheel Armor will be your best choice."

"Understood!" Erza-gemini said with a firm nod. With another poor of smoke she was gone and Lucy exolained we had about twenty minutes to get ready.

"So what about the ones she doesn't take out?" Yukino asked as she tried her whip out for the first time. Lucy seemed unfazed and pulled her long, waist length hair up into a high ponytail.

"If they're anything like other bandits, the strongest will send everyone else to go find out who attacked them. Yukino and me can take care of any stragglers and you guys can take care of the S Class."

"I don't know." Sting said shooting Yukino a wary look. I understood his concern, but Yukino was a capable mage and if he thought otherwise, he shouldn't have brought her.

"It sounds logical to me." I stated. Sting took it as a challenge and tried to start an argument with me.

"Yeah well, I don't like the idea of Yukino going at it alone."

"Gee thanks..." Lucy sarcastically cut in. Stings face paled before he shrugged and defended. "You know what I mean Lucy-nee."

"What if we take Lector and Frosch?" Yukino asked trying to ease the building tension. We really didnt have time for this.

"That's a great idea! You'll do it right Lector?" The unusually quiet red exceed jumped up into Yukinos arms and smiled widely.

"You can count on me Sting-kun!"

"Fro thinks so too!" I was surprised to hear that he wanted to stay with Lucy. That was another thing that worried me... Frosch had grown strangely attached to the blond.

"You want to go?"

"Fro doesn't want to get in your way while you're fighting. Fro wants to help Lucy-chan! Fro promises to keep her safe." I smiled warmly at him then looked up at Lucy. I was upset to see she still wasnt looking at me but instead stared at the ground.

"As soon as you clear the bandits I want you four to come back here and wait for us." I said sternly.

"That's fair." Sting agreed.

"I don't want to go up against an S Class mage anyway." Yukino visibly shuddered at the thought.

"We'll meet you here in one hour." Lucy said turning to walk in the opposite direction of the bandits camp.

XxX

"Lucy look out!" I screamed as a dart made of fire flew at Lucy's back. She heard me and jumped, but she wasn't fast enough and she let out a horrific scream as the fire blade pierced through her shoulder.

She fell face down on the ground and I began to panic when she didn't get up. Blood was beginning to pool around her so I grabbed my most trusted gate key for help.

"Open, gate of the scales: LIBRA!" In a poof of golden smoke the egyption goddess of my team appeared and relief washed over me. "Libra, help us out!"

With a flick of her scales, the gravity around us changed. All of the bandits that were still standing began to float in the air, raising higher and higher until they were about a hundred feet in the air.

With another flick, the men came crashing to earth in a cloud of dust and dirt. After checking that everyone was indeed knocked out, I returned Libra and went to my best friends side with Lector and Frosch right behind me.

"Lucy-chan!" Lector screamed when we found her lifeless body. She was breathing but barely and I knew I needed to act quick. I decided to take her back to camp and call out Gemini to help heal her wounds.

"Fro has to find Rogue! He has to save Lucy-chan!" My heart stopped as the sweet little exceed flew off at max speed towards where Rogue and Sting were fighting. He was supposed to go back with us, rogue was going to be pissed.

"Frosch wait! Come back!"

"Rogue-kun is gonna be mad." He was right. Rogue was going to be furious. I just hoped nothing happened to him.

"Let's just get back to the meeting spot." I said with a sigh. I couldn't carry Lucy on my own but luckily Lector let his wings out and carried her for me.

"Is she gonna be okay?" He asked with a shaky voice.

"I hope so."

XxX

"Frosch! Get away from there!" I should hace been focusing on the battle but instead I was focusing on my exceed who was supposed to be hiding out with Lucy at the meeting spot. Instead of hiding, he was in the middle of an intense battle between myself and an explosion mage. Where the hell is she?!

I didn't even notice Sting come to stand by my side as we battled it out with two S Class bandit mages. I felt fury building up in my system as the vile green haired vilian known as Borzron sent five explosive orbs toward the tree where Frosch was taking cover.

My speedy companion was nimble enough to avoid the first three explosions, but a flying piece of lumber caught him by surprise sending him crashing to the ground. Immediately, I rushed into my shadow form to get to him before one of the other magical orbs hit, but I wasnt fast enough.

I watched in horror as the events played out in front of me in slow motion. The last two orbs collided with each other, fusing to create a massive attack. The magic energy flew across the field and struck my beloved cat head on.

A feral roar escaped my throat. I saw nothing but red and murder was on my mind. As the smoke cleared and Frosch was nowhere to be seen, I let my instincts take over and I completely blacked out.

XxX

Hey monsters!!! INTERACTIVE QUESTION BELOW:

So I feel like I'm not very good at writing missions. (They're much more difficult than writing pokemon battle scenes). I hope you guys enjoyed this and if not let me know what I need to work on. Do I need to include the meeting with the job posters? Maybe more scenery detail or longer battles? Let me know your thoughts below!

QUESTION:

WHO'S BACKSTORY WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE NEXT?

A) Orga

B) Yukino

C) Rufus

D) Sting

It's important that I choose because it's important to the coming story arc.


	34. Just Go

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with a short update. So this chapter was originally much longer but it's very emotional and taking a lot out if me to write. So I split it up. The reason being is a part of both Lucy and Rogues past will be revealed!!!**

**Anyway... I hope you guys like this short update!!!**

**XxX**

Sitting in the Sabertooth infirmary was new for me. It was much different than the infirmary at Fairy Tail. Instead of white and barren walls, these walls were a pale yellow with stunning landscape paintings lining the walls.

There were three rooms each with four beds and even an office for their residential healing mage Luno, who was currently administering medicine to an unconscious Frosch.

His little frog suit was destroyed and he had yet to wake up even though we'd finished our mission and returned two days prior. Watching everything around me, I was filled with so much guilt that I thought I might actually pass out.

It was my fault Frosch was like this. I shouldve been paying more attention, or called out another spirit. I know I was out of magic power but because I couldnt push past it, Frosch got scared and flew off. Now he was lying in a bed with a head injury.

The sound of a door slamming open followed by Rogues furious voice broke me from my self hate spiral. If only to add fuel to the fire."This is your fault!"

I heard myself whimper but I couldnt help it. His hair was pulled back leaving me with a full view of his face. His dark crimson eyes glared at me with hatred and I cowered away as memories of that night came flooding back.

Sensing my growing unease, Sting stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the angry dragon in front of me. "Rogue! Calm down man."

But it seemed to anger him further. Using his shadows he slammed Sting into the wall and started walking to me with heavy deliberate steps. "You were supposed to protect Frosch! You let him get hurt!"

By now silent tears were falling down my face. He was right. It was my fault. Just like before...Ughhh! Why?! Why cant I do anything right?! He warned me this would happen one day and I didn't listen.

"Rogue, please..." Yukino stepped up timidly, hoping to calm him down. It was pointless on her part. I knew how he felt about Frosch and I didnt blame him for being so mad. I just wished it wasn't so familiar. "Lucy got really hurt, you shouldn't-"

Another wave of shadows sent Yukino flying. Thankfully she landed on an empty bed instead of smashing into the wall like Sting. But his point had been made. He took his final steps until he was inches from my tearstained face. "Because of your inability to defeat a simple maker mage, Frosch fled in fear and got in the middle of my battle! Do you understand how injured he is? How much worse it could've been? He could have DIED!"

He raised his hand as if he were going to strike me and a sob escaped my lips. His flaring shadows receded and he lowered his arm in a defeated stance. Sting, having recovered in record time after seeing his brother attack his girl, jumped in between us and shoved the ebony haired man away from me forcefully. "Thats ENOUGH Rogue! You need to get away while Frosch recovers. Go take a solo mission or something."

Seeming to come to his senses, Rogue calmly stared at Sting. "I will do no such thing."

Sighing heavily, he ran his hands through his blond locks and gave Rogue a stern glare. "As your master, I'm ordering you to leave the guild for one week. Go cool off and come back when you're ready to apologize."

Rogue looked almost betrayed that Sting would force him away at a time like this. With a growl and one final glare in my direction, he allowed his shadows to take over and vanished into the floor.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I was sobbing at this point and couldnt stop. "I, I didn't mean to..."

"It's not your fault Lucy-nee." Sting cut in using the nickname he reserved for special situations. He wrapped his arms around me in a protective hug and started petting my hair. "Yukino told me what happened. That guy snuck up on you from behind. You didn't do anything wrong."

It didn't matter what Sting said. It was my fault and I felt awful. Instead of telling him that, I just nodded until he released me. Rubbing the tears from my eyes, I gave Yukino a pleading look before turning back to Sting. "Can I go now."

**XxX**


	35. Unknown Promise

**Hey monsters!!!!! Oneesama with the newest update!!! So this one tells us when Rogue FIRST met Lucy. Coincidently it's also the time he fell in love with her, although he disnt understand it was love.**

**Anyway, this is kind of the other half of the short chapter before this. I hope you guys enjoy, let me know what you think!!!**

**Now, onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

_"Ryos! Get your ass over here and do something with these keys."_

_"Hai aniki..." Filled with guilt, I took the keys and walked away with my head down. It was better to do what Gajeel-nii said than get in his way. I didn't want to be the obe getting punished._

_I put the keys in my pocket and watched as he used his metal magic to bind the young blond girl to the wall. A pink symbol on her hand told me she was that girl Lucy master had been looking for from Fairy Tail._

_I felt bad for her. She had no idea what was coming. Gajeel-nii demanded her to cry but she refused. He dicided to make a game of messing with her and in the blink of an eye, a giant iron circle formed from the wall where Lucy was sealed._

_The iron circle pushed forward and began to spin rapidly. "Ever heard of roulette? Gee-hee" I watched in horror as Gajeel-nii began forming daggers with his magic and threw them haphazardly at her rotating form._

_I smelled blood and I guess Gajeel-nii did too because he stopped the spinning circle and walked up to her with a growl. Her left leg was twitching and her eyes were squeezed tight in obvious pain. Blood dripped to the floor from the dagger that embedded itself in her twitching thigh._

_Yet she still refused to cry. This made Gajeel-nii angrier than I had ever seen before. His eyes narrowed before a dark laughter escaped him. "You ain't gonna cry huh? We'll see about that!"_

_"I could hear her ribs breaking as his elongated iron rod that had taken place of his fist slammed into her over and over again. Blood spewed from her mouth and yet, she still didn't cry. Why?_

_"Go ahead and kill me because I'll never give you the satisfaction! " My heart stopped. Everyone in the room began to whisper. This girl was incredibly stupid! But... I admired her bravery._

_"Niisan, maybe you should stop. Master said he needs her and-" before I could finish I felt a hard metal hand slap me so hard I flew across the room and crashed into a table._

_"Shut the hell up Ryos! As a matter of fact... You're too soft, get over here and use your shadow magic on this fairy trash!" I knew I shouldn't have said anything. I didnt want to hurt the girl. It was bad enough I had taken her keys and watched my brother basically torture her._

_I felt a heat in my pocket and I knew it was her angry spirits trying to break through the natural barier my shadow magic held against the magical items. I hated that I was going to have to do this. I didn't want to. "Do it and you get your guild mark."_

_"I..." I had been trying to get my mark since I was ten. Almost three years. I wanted it. So I walked right up to the blond and prepared to strike with a shadow dragon's lance but she opened her eyes and looked right at me._

_Her golden honey flaked orbs captivated me. She looked like she had the stars she wielded housed in her very eyes. The defiance and absolute conviction she emitted stopped me in my tracks and something deep inside me told me to back off._

_I couldn't hurt her. She had done nothing wrong to me. I sighed in defeat and turned to face my punnishment. Gajeel-nii was too focused on how angry he was with me to notice my shadows slipping a golden key into the celestial maidens hand._

_"Get out before I kill you Ryos." I was shocked he was giving me a chance to run. It wasn't something he ever did. His two teammates who had been watching silently looked at him confused as well. "Go now!"_

_I didn't need to be told again. I immediately melted into the shadows and escaped far away. I ran into a young man who said he was from Fairy Tail. He smelled like Lucy's keys so I figured he was a safe person to leave them with. "You gotta get outta here kid, things are getting ugly. It's not safe! Thanks for finding Lucy's keys ... You should-"_

_**BOOM**..._

"NOOOO!!!!!"

My heart was racing and my head was pounding. My clenched fists began to relax as I looked around and took in my surroundings.

I was in my rented bed at a hotel in Clover. I had taken a small mission escorting the town Mayor to Hargeon, which I would be starting soon.

Looking out the window, I saw that the first rays of light were just beginning to shine. It was that amazing time of day where the sun is rising but part of the sky is just dark enough to watch the stars drift to sleep.

My thoughts drifted to the nightmare I just woke up from. Why had I dreamed about that? Why now when I was so angry with her?!

I couldn't understand it, was it because I made her cry? Actually, that's probably exactly what it was.

After I left Phantom, I swore I would grow strong enough to beat Gajeel, and get revenge for Lucy.

I swore that, if by some chance she ever needed help and I was nearby, I would help her no matter the cost.

I tried to find her after I found Sting but, by then she had gone missing and she didn't return for seven years. But in all of those years, I never gave up hope that I would find her.

When she did return, I did what I had to to keep appearance but it killed me to watch everytjing unfold at the GMG. Knowing now that my future counterpart caused her so much emotional trauma killed a part of me inside.

I didn't want to cause her pain yet only one day prior I had lashed out at her. I thretened her and attacked my friends. Frosch wasn't dead and he was going to be fine, so why did I lose my mind? And why was the sound of Lucy crying the only reason I snapped out of it?

I decided to get ready to pick up the Mayor. I needed to hurry and finish this mission so I could get back home and apologize, again. I keep doing things to piss everyone off lately. When did I turn into Sting?


	36. Mind Games

**Hey monsters!!! Bonus update time!!! I don't have much to say about this chapter except that the italic part is a dream.**

**Other than that...**

**Onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

* * *

_You're so weak. Just look at you. Absolutely pathetic. Are you just going to lie on the ground like a wounded animal? You dare force me to return to this place only to play the victim?!"_

_I pulled at my hair and tucked my chin into my knees while the voice grew closer to me until I could practically feel his hot breath on the back of my neck._

_I jumped up and scurried forward to try and escape his looming presence, but when I tried to crawl away, my body was forced to the ground. A sob escaped my dry and chapped lips when I felt the incredible weight of a foot pressing down on my spine._

_I looked over my shoulder to see a terrifying scarlet eye staring down at me through the purple darkness that surrounded me. My breathing hitched as my heart slammed against my ribcage. The hatred and loathing I saw in his one eye was enough to make me turn away from the only thing I was able to see in the world of shadows._

_It was dark. So dark it was horrifying. Everything was covered in a violet hue of smoke and shadows. This darkness was pure evil. It was unnatural. This was not the type of darkness that the night sky created I had grown to love. It was not the night that felt calming and soothing when I would look up and see my beloved stars shining down on me._

_No. This was the type darkness that could drive someone to the brink of insanity in a matter of minutes. It didn't matter if I closed my eyes or kept them open, it all looked the same. I longed for the light and felt tears falling from my eyes as the heel of the heavy boot on my back grinded into the base of my neck._

_"Please... No more..."_

**XXX**

_Making my way to the guild was as hard as it was the first day I was here. It had been nearly three months since I had one of those nightmares, but I realized they werent any less terrifying now than they were then._

_I had hoped the nightmares were over when I had arrived at Sabertooth with no actual problems, but my hopes were dashed the minute I saw Rogue angry._

_It was stupid, I know. Obviously THIS Rogue would never hurt me, but... Seeing his eyes filled with disgust, watching his tribal markings cover his body and feelimg the enormous magical energy radiating off of him in waves..._

_It was too much for me. All of the memories that I had tried so hard to lock away came rushing back and the events of my misguided mission flooded my memory. I just wanted it to end! I started to scream as loud as I could until the violet world that had become my prison begen to crack._

**XxX**

* * *

"Lucy wake up!" Yukino frantic voice ripped me from my nightmare and I shot up straight, slamming my head into hears causing us both to groan out in pain. "Ugh... Are you okay Lucy? You were screaming."

She flicked on a light and I saw a small bruise forming where I had accidently hit her. I smiled in apology and rubbed my own knotted head. "Sorry about that, yeah I'm fine. It was just a bad dream."

The look on her face told me she wasn't buying it and I pulled the blankets up trying to hide my face. "You were begging Rogue to stop. Not to hurt you anymore... I think it's time you told me what exactly happened between you two."

The unspoken accusation in her question hit a nerve and I found myself sounding more defensive then I meant to. "Nothing happened between me and Rogue. Well, not this rogue at least."

Her harsh glare softened and her voice lowered. "Did something happen during the eclipse?" I didn't want to talk about this so I shook my head. I didn't like where the conversation was going and I really just wanted to tell her to back off. But it was like she could read my mind. "Lucy I can't help you if you won't tell me what's going on!"

I thought about it and decided i might as well try to talk about it. Maybe I woukd feel better. But I didn't want Rogue to know. "You can't tell anyone, not even Sting."

I knew if Sting knew the truth he would feel obligated to tell Rogue and I didn't want that happening so I cut her off before she could argue. "Lucy, I can't-"

"Promise me Yukino." If she wanted me to talk, we were doing it on my terms.

"I promise."

With a heavy sigh I closed my eyes and prepared to talk. I shouldve checked our surroundings though because neither of us noticed a certain blond dragon slayer hiding in the window holding an audio lacrima. "Do you remember that I told you I took a solo mission after Fairy Tail disbanded and the mission went wrong?"

Yukino nodded and I was glad I didnt have to go over that part again. "That... That was the mission that changed everything. When I found out what really happened and why Future Rogue really wanted me dead."

"But Future Rogue disappeared didn't he?" It was a fair question. As far as anyone knew, future Rogue was dead and gone. They didn't know how wrong they were.

"No." I gulped the nervous lump in my throat and began the story I didn't want to tell. "It started with a simple mission. Recover a hidden item and receive both 200,000j and a gemstone gate key.

I thought I had it in the bag. I made it to the hidden cave, broke through the rune spell at its entrance, bypassed three boobietraps, and retrieved the strange amulet I had been tasked to find.

It wasn't until I was on my way back to return it that things got bad."


	37. A Guildless Mission

**Hey monsters!!! So here's the next update. WARNING this chapter is a memory (part 1) and takes place during the time Natsu is gone and the guild us disbanded.**

**I'd like to take a moment to say THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!**

**This book reached 1.78k reads today and is currently ranked #4 in RoLu!!!**

**Okay, now... Onto the story!!!**

**XxX**

* * *

_'Lucy,_

_I know you're mad at me right now. I know you said I needed to start thinking about the future but I don't think you get it. All i ever think about is the future._

_When Future Rogue killed future you, something inside of me broke. I realized then and there that when it comes to protecting you, I'll do anything. I was ready to kill him. I tried to, I thought I did until you told me he vanished with the dragons._

_After that, all I ever can think about is that I failed to keep you safe._

_You want a family but I don't know if I trust myself to keep a family safe when I can't even do it for you. I don't know if I even want to._

_I don't like thinking about killing people. But you're always getting yourself into stuff that pushes me to that point. When people kidnap you, when they hurt you, all I see is red and I think about how easy it would be to take someone else's life._

_That really scares me Lucy. So I'm leaving to train for a year or so. When I get back, I guess I'll have the answers I'm looking for._

_You should train to. If you weren't such an easy target than maybe this wouldn't be so hard. I really do love you Lucy but this is too much for me to deal with. I need time._

_Tell everyone I'll be home soon!_

_-Natsu'_

**XxX**

* * *

**Flashback**…

Lucy sighed while she rubbed the back of her neck. Although beaten up and exhausted, she was happy with the results of her latest solo mission. It had been hard at first. After her spirits found her attempting to slit her wrists with the remained of Aquarius key, they had convinced her to leave the town she had grown to both love and despair.

There were too many memories there and not all of them, actually most of them, were bad. So she packed all of her things away in the spirit world and set off on a training journey of her own. It took a few months before she ran out of money.

Not knowing what to do, she traveled to Lamia Scale guild where Master Bob let her work in the guilds club and take small jobs. Recently she had taken on more difficult jobs, by joining Chelia and Wendy on their jobs. It worked out since the young god slayer had only recovered a miniscule fraction of her power and Wendy wanted to take high paying jobs.

But this was the highest paying solo job she had yet. At 200,000j it's no wonder there was a hidden catch. After completing this current mission she had a plan to relax and take it easy for a while, as well as hopefully try to seek the professional help she needed for the sake of her mental well being.

After all, the only reason she took these solo missions in the first place was so she could save up enough jewel so she wouldn't have to worry about hotel fees or food for at least two months while she tried to straighten out her messed up mind.

The soothing sound of birds chirping filled the air as they flew through the sky over her. The celestial maiden smiled while stretching her arms above her head in an attempt to realign her back.

She had taken a pretty good hit from the boar like creature earlier causing her to slam into a large boulder.

The sun was slowly setting, creating a beautiful violet and crimson glow down the small path the blonde had decided to take. Lucy figured if she could at least make the last train of the day, she would be back to the inn she had been staying at by the following morning. Lucy hummed softly to herself as she let the last days of the suns warmth soak into her skin as she followed the path.

After the Eclipse incident, Lucy couldn't hide her ever-changing behavior as it morphed into something less than normal for her usually charismatic and cheerful self. Though she constantly tried to wear the mask of her former self when her spirits were around but she couldn't hide the truth from them. Things that she enjoyed gradually became less interesting the more time passed her by.

Every night after the battle ended, Lucy's dreams started to get worse. Before she realized it, her nightmares had succeeded in taking hold of her unconscious mind and seemingly made a permanent home. The fear of facing those unpleasant memories while she slept was more than the blonde could handle. Causing her to often feign sleep in favor of just sitting alone in the comfort of the artificial light of her undecorated room until dawn would start to break over the horizon.

Lucy was startled out of her thoughts when she felt a huge rise in magical pressure nearby. She quickly leaped out of the way just in time to dodge a sphere of black magical energy. The shadow like sphere silently turned to smoke as it collided and evaporated into the tree that was directly behind where she had been standing just seconds ago.

The former fairy spun around just in time to see another sphere coming straight for her. Lucy quickly unraveled her whip and sent the end slicing through the magic sphere made up of what appeared to be light charged shadow magic right before it barreled into her. She reeled her whip back in, preparing for another attack with a horrifyingly familiar terror gripping her heart.

"I'm impressed." A deep voice echoed through the area causing her skin to crawl. No matter how hard she tried, she would never forget his voice. But he was supposed to be dead! Why was he here and what was she going to do? "I never thought you would be able to dodge that last one Lucy. You've gotten faster since our last encounter."


	38. Broken

**Hey monsters!! So this is the second part of Lucy's mission flashback. THIS is why Lucy feels responsible for everything Future Rogue did and explains why he's really after her.**

**TRIGGER WARNING**

**Non/con**

**The next chapter will be back to current time where Lucy is at Yukino house.**

**Now, onto the story...**

**XxX**

* * *

Lucy didn't even try to open her swollen eyes, she knew that it wouldn't make a difference it's not like she could see anything anyway. Raspy breaths fought their way up her dry throat and she was fairly certain that a few of her ribs were broken. Future Rogue had kept her chained up so long, that she had no feeling left in her arms.

When she first realized her attacker was actually the evil self proclaimed future dragon king, she nearly peed herself in fear. She had tried so hard to understand just how he was still there when he vanished with the closing of the eclipse gate. But then he explained that, like her ancestor Anna, he hadn't returned because he was too far away from the gate at the time of its closing. He told her that when he vanished, he simply morphed into his shadow form and slithered away to hide and prepare to strike when the time was right.

When he first captured her, Lucy had begged him to tell her why he hated her so much. Yes, she closed the eclipse gate but it wasn't her alone who did that. Yukino and the princess both helped. Their magic combined was what sent the dragons back, not Lucy.

So why, her? Well, apparently in his timeline, future Rogue was madly in love with Lucy. In his past, he and Sting left Sabertooth and joined Fairy Tail before the Grand Magic Games. They had become great friends and after Natsu and Lisanna mated, Rogue began to develop feelings for the celestial maiden.

Unfortunately, she didn't return his affections but instead had fallen for Sting, whose personality was much closer to her former lovers. Pushing his feelings to the side for the sake of their happiness, Rogue encouraged the two blondes relationship. It would be a decision he would come to regret later.

Over time, Sting, Rogue, and Lucy had formed an unofficial job team; taking S Class missions and working together more often than team Natsu. It was coming back from one of those missions that everything went wrong.

During a run in with a pack of wyverns Sting would make a decision that would cause Rogues shadows to take him over. Lucy's attack was the one to accidentally hit Frosch who had run into the path of magic while looking for Sting, ultimately taking his life. While Sting, who was responsible for protecting the camp and the two small cats, did nothing to help the exceed but instead refused to accept blame, saying he wasn't responsible for the fallen feline.

Rogue blamed Sting for Froschs death. Lector was still alive so why wasn't Fro? It wasn't fair!

After Rogue killed Sting and absorbed his power, Lucy ran off, apparently to the palace to go back in time. He followed her and when they opened the gate, the dragons came forward and took over Earthland, killing over ninety percent of the human population.

Somehow the gate hadn't been damaged and Lucy fled to the past with Rogue, the only dragon slayer left alive, hot on her tail. Thats when the eclipse fiasco happened. Lucy had thought everything had been fixed when the gate was closed. But she was so wrong.

Future Rogue had stayed behind and waited. It had been about five months since the guild disbanded and this job had been the first Lucy had taken alone without one of her spirits or random friends following her. It had been the perfect time to strike and like an idiot, she had let her guard down.

Lucy flinched in her chains as she heard the sadistic voice of Future Rogue calling through the darkness, "Has my Little Fairy given up yet?"

"Fairy Tail is gone," Lucy faintly whispered back.

"You're a defiant one aren't you?" Future Rogue purred at her before he bit down on her beast.

She screamed in pain as she felt his sharp fangs tear through her skin causing blood to drip down her barely clothed torso, then like a wild animal he started lapping the blood up. His insane ruby eyes pierced through her as he wickedly asked, "If Fairy Tail doesn't exist, then why is your guild mark still on your hand?"

If Lucy could've tilted her head up to look at her hand then she would have, but her head was pounding from all of the pain. She was weak from a weeks worth of dehydration, starvation, and torture. It didn't matter that her emblem was still there. Fairy Tail was gone and no one was coming to save her. _No one._

Lucy felt tears run down her eyes at the realization. Future Rogue had made her see the horrifying truth and now she was completely broken. No one would find her and no one would ever know how she died. "I, don't know…"

Lucy watched in fear as Future Rogue lit his hand up with a violet and golden flame made of shadows and moved towards her. Slowly he raised his hand to hers. Fearing the worst, she closed her eyes in anticipation of the pain to come only to be met with a sense of confusion as the chains binding her came loosely crashing to the floor beneath her.

Completely void of energy, Lucy's exhausted body fell roughly into Future Rouges arms. Lucy thought she was broken then but she never could have imagined what the sadistic shadow mage had in store for her next. Her hazy mind began to clear almost immediately and she forced herself to focus, only to reel back at the sinfully vulgar look he was giving her body.

Her vision began to blur as she found the strength to forcefully jerk her head up as the sound of a zipper being undone reached her ears. Her eyes felt like they were spinning as she tried, but failed to focus on what Future Rogue was doing, though she had a pretty good idea.

For the first time, Lucy tried to cry out. But her screams were muffled as Future Rogue covered her mouth with his own. Her mind went completely blank as she felt his lips moving against hers. She tried to move her head away, but his hand, that was originally on her shoulder clamped around the back of her neck, forcing her to stay still. He moved back, breaking his kiss and glared at her with a predatory warning. "You're all mine now."


	39. I'm So Sorry

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with a short update. This part was actually supposed to be in the last chapter (I'm not sure what happened) so that's why it's so short. Anyway... This part is going to be the last lead up to the second to last story arc. I hope y'all enjoy!!!**

**XxX**

* * *

I knew when I snuck in that what I was going to hear probably wasn't good, but I didn't expect what I just heard. I regretted bringing my communication lacrima because Rogue had just heard everything too. I thought they were going to talk about why she was so upset, Rogue would hear and then he would understand that his actions affect her more than the rest of us.

Lucy was still talking and because I hadn't cut the connection, Rogue was still listening. Even through the lacrima, I could feel his magical energy rising. He was going through a storm of emotions right now and all I could do was let him hear the rest of what she had to say. No point in leaving when the damage was already done.

"After he was finished, he left me unchained." I heard Lucy say. I turned my attention back to her and shifted a little because my leg was falling asleep.

"He gave me food, water, new clothes, and a bed and left me alone for three days. When he never came back, I got brave and began to plot my escape. But it was unnecessary. Apparently, after he… mated me, he left. I didn't know where he went, I still don't know where he is. I do know this…

Future Rogue is still out there, waiting to strike. I'm terrified he might find me again. And with Natsu out of the picture, there's no one there to stop him."

She started crying and I nearly fell over from shock. Did she just say what I think she said? _Future Rogue mated her? But, if Blondie is mated to Future Rogue than is she mated to our Rogue?_ This was gonna be difficult to figure out. I felt the magic connection from my lacrima weaken and I realized Rogue had hung up.

I should have left the minute Lucy started talking about her mission but, I really wanted to know what was going on with her. Maybe letting Rogue listen in wasn't the best choice. Actually I know it wasn't. If Lucy ever found out, she'd kill me.

"That's why I am afraid of being alone. If I am alone, he'll catch me. He's so strong, whether we like it or not he is Rogue. He's just… another version of him, and he's as strong as, if not stronger than the Rogue we know."

I decided to leave after hearing that. I may have felt guilty for listening in, but it was a good thing I did. If Future Rogue was still out there and looking for Lucy, I needed to make preparations.

I decided to talk to Freed and Orga after I called Makarov. I wouldn't tell them everything, but I would tell them we needed to prepare for an attack at some point in the future. I figured I could call Rogue back after I came up with a plan and by then he should've calmed down. If only I knew how wrong I was.

* * *

**XxX**

* * *

My mind went blank when Lucy explained just what a monster I had become in the future. I, well, my future counterpart, had forced myself on her. I stole something precious from her and left her to die?! _What the hell was wrong with me?!_

I didn't want to hear anymore so I cut my magic flow from the lacrima and put it away. I felt my body become heavy and I fell to my knees and let out a roar of frustration. I remembered the day she arrived and I noticed how broken she looked.

I swore I would find who hurt her and destroy them. Originally, I thought it was Natsu who hurt her, not that he didn't, but I was the one who destroyed her. There was nothing I could do to make this right. My future self … _Wait, my FUTURE self…_

If it was the future version of myself that came back and did this to her, then all I had to do was make sure Future Rogue couldn't exist, then maybe Lucy will forget…

With determination in my heart and my decision made, I pulled a paper from my bag and wrote my down thoughts. Hopefully, this would fix everything.

* * *

_To whom it may concern,_

_I Rogue Cheney, being of sound mind and body, leave this letter of my final wishes to be returned to Sabertooth. To the poor soul who stumbles across my body, I apologize for the misfortune I have brought to you._

_I would like all of my belongings save my katana collection, Cape, and my exceed Frosch, to be split evenly between my two brothers Sting Eucleff and Gajeel Redfox._

_The remainder of my belongings and my exceed should be left in the care of Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail. I would also like all of my money decided evenly between Sting, Rogue, and Lucy._

_I didn't do this for myself. My only hope_

_Is that by me taking my life now, my future self won't be able to come back and hurt the people I care about. Maybe by doing this I can give her some closure._

_I'm so sorry Lucy._

_-Rogue_

* * *


	40. Please Read

**Hey monsters! Oneesama here with an announcement. Originally, I expected this story to hit 75-80 chapters. But it progressed a lot faster than i planned and its looking like there will be only 20-25 more chapters until it's finished.**

**In light of this, I have decided to take a 2 or 3 week break and focusing instead on Say I Love You.**

**I will be taking these two weeks to find inspiration and draft the next arc of the story. I hope you all understand why I need this break...**

**If not I'll explain...**

**I am a 29 year old mom of 3 with Lupus and a full time job. Currently it's been about 30f every day and in the low teens at night. I don't have a vehicle and I ride my bike everywhere, including work. So I've been pretty sick lately and it's been hard to focus on both stories at one time lately.**

**So I hope you'll head over to Say I Love You until my short break is over!!!**

**ALSO...**

**Since this story is almost over, I left a few options below for you guys to choose from. These are descriptions of possible stories!!! Whichever one has the most votes will be the one I write as my next fanfiction!!!**

1.) **NALU**: Natsu and Lucy find a child who turns out to be their child from the future. After Natsu and Lucy return her to her own time, they get mixed up in a time warp. In order for them to return home and restore balance, they must relive each of their relationship milestone memories. But what happens when they make a mistake along the way? Can they face the consequences of their actions or will it drive them apart once and for all?

2.) **LOLU**: After years of turning him away, Lucy finally accepts Lokes advances. Unfortunately for them, their relationship violates a multitude of celestial laws. What happens when their actions bear consequence? When Lucy is attacked and Loke locked away in the spirit world, who will be there to save them?

3.) **NALU**: A new dark guild is on the rise and they have a spy in fairy tail. A series of misfortune befall the guild until it comes to a head with Natsu and Lucy in an all out battle. With their family ripped apart and on the brink of war, will Natsu and Lucy be able to realize the truth before it's too late?

4.) **STICY**: After a big argument with Natsu, Lucy decides to take some time away to train and think about her future. When she is attacked in the night, who should save her? Why the golden haired Sabertooth Guild master of course! After hearing her tale, Sting insists on training Lucy himself to which she happily accepts. But what happens when a jealous Yukino returns from a six month mission to find her crush entranced with the blonde?

5.) **GRALU**: Natsu is gone and Juvia is getting on Grays last nerve. He finally tells her to leave him alone causing the water mage to quit fairy tail. Filled with guilt and feeling undeserving, who else but Lucy could pick up the pieces other than Lucy. But can he cool the fire the salmon haired pyro left behind? Or is she too far gone already?

**Please choose only one!!! I couldnt decide which one I liked most but it's a tie between the Sting/Lucy and Natsu/Lucy ones. Whichever one has the most votes, will be the one I write once KTSNS is finished!!!**


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